Shatter
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: What if fate ordained a different set of saviors, a different guardian to protect the peace? And just who might that individual and his allies be, you ask? Prepare to be surprised! First ever Aizenxharem! Pure EVIL Ichigo, Pure GOOD Aizen! Fluff and angst
1. Chapter 1

The chanting could be heard from outside.

It was even louder in the actuall hallways.

"Fight fight fight!"

There was trouble in Karakura High School.

"Punk! You got some balls talking to me like that!"

He pushed up his glasses and sighed, his words directed to the hulking senior standing before him.

"I would rather _not_ fight you, Kanji-san. However, I cannot allow you to bully this school any longer."

Behind him was crouched a girl, who cowered slightly in fear.

And bore a bruise on her arm.

Seeing her chance, she now scampered off down the halls, presumably to get a teacher to break up the fight.

A smug smirk as the senior watched her go, and that smirk became a grin as he found his path blocked by the brown haired teen.

"Oh, so you wanna join her in the dumpster after school, huh?"

"I most certainly do _not." _replied the 'nerd' serenly, the pools of his brown eyes reflecting only the utmost calm and certainty. Nothing could phase him, and nothing _would_.

"Ya got guts."

A crowd had gathered in the halls by now, to witness the supposedly onesided beatdown. After all, what chance did a nerd have against a jock? To them, the answer was obvious.

"No. I am merely doing the right thing, unlike you, cretin"

None, none whatsoever.

This hulking brute was the very _definition_ of trouble. His head was shaved, and what was left of it had been bleached silver. His hulking form was decked out in a leather jacket, skull and crossbones tee, and lastly, black jeans.

From his nose hung a nosering, such a garsih piece of jewelry, he thought to himself.

There was not a trace of flab or fat to be found on him, this serving to make him all the more imposing.

"What was that?!"

Furious black eyes glared down at his soon to be 'victim'.

"Cannot we resolve this in a peaceful manner?" Asked the glasses wearing 2nd year.

The jock's face twisted in confusion.

Everyone snickered.

Livid with rage, he all but snarled:

"Using big words, huh? Now I'm gonna _pulverize_ you!"

With the speed only a running back could possess, he sprang!

"Hope you're hungry for a knuckle sandwhich!"

His target sighed in resignation, slumping minutely.

"It seems I have no choice."

Kanji blinked, and he was gone.

Simply gone.

He was surprised to find that he had _missed _somehow.

_'Huh? Wasn't that geek right here?'_

"Over here."

He was behind him now.

Ripples of uncertainty ran through the crowd.

Perhaps the victory of Kanji Tatsumi was not _entirely_ assured after all.

Keigo cracked a smile as the 'nerd' tapped Kanji on the shoulder, but again the brute seemed to miss a virtually impossible to miss hit. Then again, and again, until favor had shifted for the 'nerd'.

"Hey, the nerd's winning!"

Someone ribbed him in the side and he winced, turning to see who was tormenting him.

A casual voice sounded over his shoulder.

"He ain't even tryin.'"

Standing next to him was a tall slim student with short whitish purple hair, his eyes seemingly perpetually closed, much like those of a fox or snake. Like everyone else, he wore the traditional school uniform...

But he seemed to exude an aura of perpetual laziness.

His yawn signified this.

"I-Ichimaru-san?" Sputtered Keigo.

The unusual student rolled his shoulders in a shrug, speaking to a student next to him

"Whaddya think, Tousen? Maybe he's having a little too much fun this time."

His inquirty was directed to a student with long black hair, which had been tied back in dreadlocks**(Is that it?For the life of me, I can't remember what you call those things)**He was clearly african, and like Gin, stood around the 5'10 mark.

He too wore a school uniform.

His eyes seemed hazy, as if he were blind-

Yet he turned to look in the direction of Ichimaru.

"I believe that he does not wish to harm Kanji-san."

Gin seemed to droop slightly as he returned his attention to the fight.

"Always the noble peacemaker, eh?"

Kanji's victim was now standing off to the right.

"Can't you be reasonable?" He sounded...

Annoyed now.

_Why do you taunt him?_

The 2nd year stiffened, as a voice echoed in his mind.

_'What? Who's there-_

_You know who I am._

_'What-_

"Gotcha!"

Alas, his moment of confusion left him wide open.

He caught a fist _hard_ on the cheek, and everyone gasped as the student stagged back a pace.

That was the first actual _impact _of the fight.

Kanji crowed triumphantly, as the face of his victime seemed to crumple from the blow.

Gin groaned.

"Aw man, now he's gone and done it....

Kanji knew not the peril he had just put himself in.

"How's that you-

Brown eyes sparked dangerously.

"That _hurt."_

A knee suddenly embedded itself in Kanji's gut.

He had crossed the foot or so between them in one step.

It took Kanni a moment or two to realize what had just happened. With a wheeze the air rushed out of his lungs, doubling him over from the blow. Futiley, he tried to draw air back into his body, but to no avail, the oxygen would not come.

His words came out in a ragged gasp, as if he would collapse at any second.

"How... did... you-

His head was abruptly seized and brought down upon the knee, with such force that his nose broke, and he _screamed _in the raw agonizing pain. Desperately, he clutched at his face, but still the blood leaked between his fingers.

Both Gin and Kaname could not help but shudder.

His prey lorded over him for a moment, before grabbing the senior up by his collar.

Brown eyes glinted angrily.

"Remember, _Aizen Sousuke_ did this to you."

Then he threw down Kanji.

The student body remained silent for a moment...

Then the roiling masses let up a cheer!

"Sousuke! Sousuke! Sousuke!"

Just as the principal came around the corner.

"Tatsumi!"

Abruptly, the cheers died, and the roiling mass of students departed every whichway. Although the five minute brawl had been entertaining, enthralling even, none of them wished to be caught up in its aftermath.

Gin and Kaname found themselves swept up in the crowd, but before they were dragged off Ichimaru somehow managed to seize Aizen's wrist.

"C'mon!"

He _barely_ managed to drag his friend out of sight.

Then their Principal saw the bloody mess upon the floor, and Tatsumi himself.

"Tatsumi! What is the meaning of this?!"

He gestured to the girl behind him, who had the large bruise on her left arm.

"Teach, I didn't do it! It was-

A vein was bulging in his forehead. "Ms. Inoue would dissagree with your statement!"

Kanji winced, knowing _full well_ what was coming next, as the head of the school sucked in a deepy and mighty breath.

"DETENTION! SUSPENSION!"


	2. Creeping Shadows

**Its so much FUN making these three good guys! Oh, and Ichigo is gonna be downright NASTY in this fic. I already have replacement captains for our trio, and here they are. Ichigo, replacing Aizen inthe 5th squad, Renji, and Rukia for the other two...squads, whose numbers I _cannot_ recall for the life of me. As for the Hogyoku, well, its still up for grabs...**

"Its not like you to pick a fight." Snickered Gin as he contented himself with flicking paperclips at Keigo. He took great pleasure in tormenting the unaware student.

Aizen frowned a bit as he turned to the next page in his book.

"There was nothing wrong with what I did."

This was their last period of the day, a study hall.

Ordinarily, the would have skipped class, what with today being a Friday and all...

But Kaname had wisely suggested that they not attract attention to themselves, after Aizen's 'beat-down' as Gin so aptly called it.

"Both of you, cease your bickering."

They were silent for a moment...

But with three in the same room as one another, peace simply could not exist.

Aizen closed his book.

"Do you know what a folly is, Gin?"

"A mistake?" Yawned his best friend.

"When it comes to architecture, it means an extravagant structure built as a conversation piece," said Aizen.

"So? You talking about the sunlight you had me and Tousen build for ya?" asked Gin, referring to one of the groups oddball projects, a pastime they often partook in when they were bored.

Which was quite often.

"Yes."

Gin's permanent smirk grew a little wider. "So it _wasn't_ to grow that garden I saw you planting earlier? Pretty flowers."

Aizen's eyes narrowed, annoyed at how easily the tables had been turned on him.

Even more so at the many looks now directed towards him.

"Not another word, Gin." He hissed out.

Had Gin's eyes been open, they'd have been _twinkling_.

"Of course, of course. Every _man_ has his hobbies."

Aizen waited until the bell rang before sighing. It was a pity Gin's hobbies were teasing and tormenting people. Gardening was much healthier.

The final bell rang its blessed tune again, as the trio gathered their things and headed out.

The weekend awaited them now.

Gin suggested something to ease their constant pangs of boredom as they walked.

This time it was putting sneaking into the school late at night, and installing a hidden camera in the girl's locker room.

Kaname smote him upside the head for his stupidity.

"Imbecile, that will never work."

"Says you!" Gin whined, as he rubbed the welt. "We'll never know until we try!"

"Then you try it. I have no desire to indulge myself in such things."

At this, a sly grin began to grow over Ichimaru's face.

"Aha! I knew it!"

Aizen knew that Tousen had just unwittingly proved Gin with _grade A torment material._

"I always wondered why you didn't pay any attention to girls, but now I _know!_"

"Know what?" Asked Tousen, not understanding his perplexing friend's motive.

The slacker proceeded to jab a finger in Kaname's face, opening his eyes to reveal that they were red. A sign that he was truly enjoying himself.

"You're _gay_!" He crowed triumphantly.

It took the blind man a second or so to realize what had just been said.

"What?"

But once he did-

"WHAT?!"

"Don't blame me." Gin half shrugged, unfazed from Kaname's rare outburts. "I personally prefer girls, but-

"And I prefer you dead!" Spat the blind teen as he seized Ichimaru by the throat

Aizen smirked slightly the whole time as they began to bicker back and forth, much like an old married couple, a miniature battle taking place moments later.

If he had to decide...._Gin_ would be the flirtatious husband, the one who always wanted to have fun. And _Kaname_ would most _certainly _be the no-nonsense wife, who often beat her husband relentlessly for his childish antics.

"S-Sousuke-san?" Came a voice from behind him.

"Hmm?" Aizen looked over his shoulder as he heard a familair voice, his pace slowing to a halt.

It was Orihime.

He almost immediately noticed the bandage on her arm.

"Are you alright?" His words were gentle, kind even.

She nodded, a light pinkish tinge upon her cheeks.

"H-Hai, arigatou."

The anime style brawl that was taking place in the background suddenly stopped.

Gin stopped pulling Kaname's hair, despite the fact that he still had a good fistful of it in one hand, and Tousen stopped trying to rip Ichimaru's eyes out, even though his current grip was stretching his face out. Silently, they released each other, now they were entirely focused on the matter of Aizen conversing with Orihime.

They were only able to catch the last part of it or so.

"Would you care for a drink?"

Inoue blushed cherry red.

"O-Okay."

Aizen glanced towards Gin and Kaname.

"Interested?"

Gin opened his mouth to protest. "Hey, I thought we were gonna-

Tousen clamped a mouth over Ichimaru's mouth, silencing him.

"Gladly."

--

Aizen opened the door to his home and stepped through.

"Mom, Ai-chan, I'm home-

"Onii-chan!"

He nearly fell back on Gin, when his little sister of ten years old, Ai Sousuke glommed him in a hug.

"Mommy said you were late! I was so worried!"

She was a lively little girl with long blond hair, rosy cheeks, and blue eyes, a sharp contrast to his own. She'd gotten the blue eyes and blond hair from their father.

He chuckled and hugged her back upon seeing the tears in her eyes.

"Sh, sh, you needn't be worried about me."

"That's right!" Quipped Gin, peering over Aizen's shoulder, flashing the peace sign as he did so, an action that drew a giggle from Ai. "Your big bro's got nothing to worry about, long as _I'm_ around!"

"Yay!" Cried Ai, and released her brother to glomm Gin in a hug.

Kaname saw a chance for revenge and he took it.

"Ah, so you prefer _younger _girls then, Ichimaru?"

It achieved the desired effect as Gin turned a bright red.

"W-What?! How can you say such a thing?!"

"Just as declared that I was 'gay'." An even reply.

Ai just looked confused, inqusitiveness reflecting in the bright pools of her eyes.

"Huh? What does Tousen-kun mean?"

Gin waved his hands frantically, whilst Orihime hastily declared it as: "N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

Ichimaru then shot Kaname a vicous glare, laced with much killer intent.

"We are SO not even!"

"When were we ever even?" The advantage was now Kaname's.

"Shaddap!" Ichimaru all but hissed, desperate to get in the last word.

Aizen watched all this with amusement as always.

"You two are idiots."

"Aizen? Is that Gin-kun I hear?" From the kitchen came the distinctive voice of a young woman.

"Yes mother, I brought some friends over for tea." Aizen replied calmly.

A cheery laugh.

"Oh, good! I was just making myself some!"

Gin and Kaname seemed to stiffen, as from around the corner came what _looked_ to be a woman in her mid twenties, clad in a tank top, jeans and a 'Kiss the Cook' apron.

Unlike her daughter, Mizuki Sousuke bore some resemblance to her only son.

She had long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. A smile warmed her a smooth slender face, from which the most caring brown eyes did shine with life and light.

"Gin, you want herbal tea, right?"

Ichimaru bowed stiffly.

"Yes, ma'm!"

"Kaname, which do you prefer?"

"I will take regular, Mizuki-san."

"Inoue?"

"Um...herbal?" She asked, not really an experienced tea drinker.

Aizen stated his own special preference as well.

She smiled warmly and twirled about to head back into the kitchen.

"Coming right up!"

"Have you seen Aina?" Asked Aizen, just before his mother dissapeared from view.

He was referring to his elder sister, who exceeded him by a year.

"Oh, she went out with some boy." Replied his mother.

Aizen grimaced.

Aina may have been older than him, but...

_'Ever since father...'passed on' ten years ago, she's become more and more distant..._

He winced at the painful memory, one he would rather not recall, but nonetheless it came to him.

The river, the girl...

Whilst he mused, Gin seemed to relax...

Until Aizen's mother came back with their drinks, then he went straight as a board.

Kaname noted this and decided to stow the information for later use.

"Okay, tea's ready!" Chirped Mizuki as she set their steaming cups down on the table.

The four of them each let out a sigh as they were given their tea, and took a sip of it.

Tea suited him too, calm, collected Aizen, but it was in the same way, a caricature.

In all honesty – and one had to be honest with oneself, Sousuke Aizen was rather partial to _coffee_ instead. One day, he promised himself, he would have a large, unrefined mug of it, black as night, fierce as fire, and enjoy it thoroughly.

When it came down to the two, it was the internal bite verses the internal caress, and he knew which he preferred.

Besides, he liked the rush.

But that was a side he prefferred to keep to himself....

--

(Soul Society)

"You are hereby assigned to Karakura town."

"B-But-

"Now now, you need combat exerience. This month should do you some good."

"But-

The air suddenly grew thick and heavy.

He wore a smile, his words were pleasant, but if one looked deep enough, only cruelty could be found.

"Is there, a..._problem _Hinamori? Are you _deliberately_ disregarding the orders of your lieutenant?"

She paled and shook her head frantically.

"N-No, not at all!"

Cold brown eyes glinted down at her, and he leaned forward from his chair, exposing the large blade strapped to his back.

"Good."

Her breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes tripled.

The individual in question was not so imposing, even his strawberry blond hair made him look rather comical, as did his thin frame...

But underneath, was sheer reaitsu, and endless ambition.

He was nothing like his father, the captain of the fifth squad.

No, Kurosaki Isshin was _far_ more benevolent than his ruthless son, Kurosaki Ichigo.

All at once, the sneer faded, as if it had never been there.

He patted her lightly on the head, smiling as he did so.

"Now get some rest. You look tired."

A light smile when she did not comply.

"That's an order."

She nodded, and tried her best to _walk_, not run from that room, that room that stank of blood and sweat, as if something had just been killed here.

"Plesae close the door behind you."

She did so.

The moment he was alone, the mask of kindness dropped and shattered into so many pieces.

Bile rose in his throat, and he flipped the bird at the door, or rather, to his allies themselves.

Oh, how he hated this charade! How he _loathed_ this facade, this act, that he must always put on to deceive them! Hiding his true self, his true nature, always "Yes sir!" or "Yes ma'am!" Always please and thank you, honor and dignity!

Rubbish!

All of it was rubbish!

One big pile o' SHIT!

Scowling, he stood up, and walked to his desk, inwardly fuming as he began to pace.

Fools.

Fools.

This place was full of useless fools!

But then again, did it truly matter?

What benefits would their arrogance bring them in the end?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

It was all part of the plan...

_'Once this is over, I will not tolerate such stupidity.'_

A twisted grin marred a face that should have been kind. It _should_ have been caring and gentle. Perhaps it had been loving once, but something had twisted it. Something had warped it.

Ambition.

Power.

Greed.

These three flaws in his character had tipped the scales and offset any and all traces of the stain he called 'humanity' within him.

He was a mere shinigami...

But he wanted more! They did not see his potential, they did not value his true worth! It was always 'Son of Isshin' this, or 'Isshin's son that'. Well he'd show them! He'd surpass his father, then stomp on his face! He'd fool them all, then stab them in the back when they least expected it!

A sinister chuckle escaped him.

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces...

He gripped at his blade, but did not draw it, though he panged for the stain of blood upon it again. Human, hollow, shinigami, it did not matter. He ached to kill again, he pined for the death rattle in an enemy's throat, the sight of their life leaving them, as he lorded over them, laughed at them for their weakness, their inability to do a thing.

No, not yet... He told himself, reasoning with the nigh insatiable blood lust threatening to consume him. Preparations still needed to be made. Pawns still needed to be moved-

He cast a glance to the picture of his father, hung atop his door.

He spat a wad of saliva at it.

There were enemies, _threats, _that needed to be eliminated before he, before the plan could progress.

Timing was everything.

Timing was crucial.

For now....

He must wait.

But soon...

Soon it would start, the crucial event that would send his plans and those of his two co-conspirators into action.

When it was over....

Everyone would be dead.

**And so our story begins...**


	3. A Sibling's Wrath

**Note: Aina will be replacing Chad. Powers and all. Uryuu will still be good, and still show up. Orihime will be good of course. Thats the only spoiler I will give thus far. OH, AND GUESS WHAT! HINATA FINALLY SAID IT! SHE TOLD NARUTO SHE LOVES HIM! 4 REAL! IN THE MANGA! NARUXHINA 4EVER! XD**

Saturday.

Saturday morning.

That was the day Aina came back from her 'date'.

She wore dark sunglasses over her eyes to blot out the early morning light, as it pained her eyes. A large cowboyish hat completed the attempt to block out the light. Her attire was quite provocative, and consisted of blue hip hugger jeans, and a black tank top, and a thin black leather jacket.

However, what she wore was currently the LAST thing on her mind.

For it was her _head_ that throbbed like a drum, its incessant pounding drowning out all else. Her rich black hair was tangled and messy, her fair complexion was devoid of makeup. Sobs wracked her body

The keys fumbled in her unsteady hands, the light of the day.

"Damnit...

Cursing under her breath, she tried to steady her blurred vision, but in doing so, dropped the keys altogether. They sound seemed to echo as they clattered down onto the porch steps. It was if a bomb had gone off, even though the sound was barely detectable to the human ear.

She hissed in pain as she bent to retrieve them, _praying_ that everyone was still asleep.

The door opened midway, just as her fingers curled around the keys.

"Aina?"

That was Aizen's voice, no doubt about it.

It was followed by a sharp hiss.

_'Gin?'_

"Shit! What the hell happened to her?!

The sound of someone getting punched, then she dimly recognized Kaname's voice.

"Quiet Gin! This is no time for your stupidity!"

An arm around her.

"Let's get her inside."

Immediately, she was ushered inside, and not a moment later, a wet cloth was applied to her head. Cleaning the dried blood there. "What happened to you?" He murmurred, tenderly dressing her wound.

"Wherez...mom...?" She mumbled slurring her words, followed by a slight hiccup.

Aizen frowned.

"She's drunk!" This came from Gin, who clapped a hand over his own mouth, lest he be smacked again.

"She's out shopping." This came from Aizen, as he dabbed at her forehead.

A small

"Bruce...She mumbled under her breath.

"Aina, were you out with Bruce?"

A nod.

"He hit you?"

No response.

Gently, he tipped her chin up, so her eyes could meet his own.

His right handed removed her sunglasses, exposing startling green eyes.

Bloodshot eyes.

In that moment he knew, but he had to hear it from her.

He had to be sure.

"Aina, I need to know. Did Bruce _hit you_?"

She looked away for a second, but her eyes said it all.

"Yes."

Gin and Kaname watched a drastic change come over their normally peaceful friend.

His body went rigid, his posture changed, going from relaxed to tense.

His eyes, once calm pools of serenity...

Hardened and froze over.

Both of them gulped.

Those were the eyes of a killer.

Of an angry brother.

"Aina, do you remember where Bruce lives?"

"W-Whyz dat...?" She slurred.

A hand rand through her hair kindly.

"He won't hit you again."

Tears began to well in her eyes.

A moment of tense silence.

"WAH! AIZEN!"

She all but _tackled _her younger brother, losing the black rimmed hat in the process. Unprepared for the glomm attack, Aizen fell back out of the kitchen chair, and she landed atop him....

Kissing his face frivously, anywhere but her lips.

In that moment, Aizen Sousuke was actually GLAD his sister was drunk.

Kaname blanched and Gin sighed as they watched the drunk display of affection take place.

Ichimaru was the first to speak.

"You wanna peel her off him?"

--

(Later)

"Hey...you sure about this?"

Aizen nodded firmly.

"I can handle this, Gin."

"This is unlike you."

"Kaname, stay out of this."

They hid themselves out of sight, and watched their friend approach the door.

Gin's hand strayed to his cell.

"Do ya think he's gonna-

He was unable to finish his sentence.

Kaname could not reply with a definite yes or no.

"I cannot say-

He now noticed that Gin had his cell out.

"Put that away. After five minutes, we're going in."

A nod, and the phone was pocketed.

"Took the words right outta my mouth."

The incessant knocking finally got his attention.

'Bruce' as he was called, was rather surprised to see a young man at his door. There wasn't really anything noticeable about this intruder, other than he wore glasses, jeans, and a brown shirt.

Yes, he wa surprised, and very, _very_ annoyed to have been interrupted from screwing another bitch.

"What the hell do you want punk?"

He was a tall fellow, this Bruce character.

Aizen idly noted that he resembled Kanji somewhat...

Except for the fact that Kanji wasn't all muscle.

No, this guy looked like he had been taking steroids.

The first thing he noticed, was that Bruce had a black eye.

"Are you Bruce?"

The man smirked, exposing yellowy teeth. When he spoke, putrid breath that stank of alchohol wafted out.

"Hey....I know you...You're the brother of that bitch who popped me earlier-

Momentarily, Aizen was surprised.

Bruce didn't just have a black eye.

It was swollen shut, to the point where it was impossible to see out of.

Aina was a slight girl. Her only exceptional attributes would have to be that she was even more well endowed with their mother. But when it came to dealing out _that kind of damage..._

Well, she simply didn't have that kind of strength.

Or did she?

Abruptly his good mood faded, replaced with drunken rage.

"Where the hell is she anways?! You tell her to get back here with my money or-

The attack came without warning.

"Bastard."

A fist drove into his face, catapaulting him backwards and onto the couch. So sudden, so great was the blow, that the sofa toppled backwards from both the impact and Bruce's weight.

Aizen didn't give him a second to move, advancing menacingly, a cold frozen look in his eyes, even as Bruce scrambled back up.

"You hurt my sister."

"So what?!" Spat Bruce, as he whiped some blood off his jaw. "The dumb bitch wouldn't put out, and I was trying to be persuasive when she got all whiny!"

That was the _worst _thing he could have send.

At that moment, Aizen swore to show him no quarter.

He'd beat him within an inch of his life.

He charged and swung!

Again the solid right hook connected on Bruce's jaw-

But this time, it seemed to lack any sort of effect, aside from twisting the man's head slightly to the left.

Bruce leered evily, suddenly sober.

"Thatz the only hit you're gonna git kid."

He took Aizen's wrist in one massive hand...

And squeezed with an intense pressure.

Sousuke bit back a scream as he felt the bones break. But still he exploded in ruffian's gut, as a knee rammed into his gut, once, twice, three times, as the highschooler fought to get free.

The man only winced, responding by slamming Aizen's face into the wooden table to the right-

In effect breaking the wooden frame in half and leaving Aizen dazed.

He figured that his nose was broken as well, judging by the blood pooling out.

POP!

And there went his shoulder.

Pain exploded in his back, and he realized that a chair had just been broken over his spine. Luckily the blow wasn't enough to kill him...

But it came pretty damn close.

He couldn't get up now, because Bruce had a foot on his back, and the sheer weight of it was forcing him down.

_Hadou 31: Shot of red fire._

That voice again.

_'You...?'_

A derisive snort.

_Yeah, me dumbass. Now repeat what I just told you, unless you wanna die. I'll handle the kidou._

_'Ki-dou...?'_

_I'll explain later! Just say it!_

"Ha-Ha-d....

Bruce paused from his beating and frowned, as Aizen ground the words out.

"Whuzzat punk? You laughin' at me?"

"Th-Thirty-one...

Red light sparked at his fingertips.

"What the-

_Now! _The voice cackled, and he suddenly felt what could only be described as a _prescence._

Strength suddenly surged into his veins!

He bucked, throwing Bruce off him!

The man fell down amongst the shambles of the table-

When he got up, he found a hand in his face.

A small red orb dancing from it.

Now, Bruce wasn't a genious, but anyone knew that balls of fire were _bad._

Cold yellow black eyes glared out at him, his mouth formed the words.

Bruce shuddered as he watched the boy's nose simply _heal _itself. Though his right arm still hinged at an odd angle, the sight of his nose simply popping back into place was terribly unnerving.

"For what you have done to my sister-

Bruce suddenly realized...

"I shall pay you back a hundred fold!"

He was going to die.

--

Kaname glanced down at his watch.

"Time's up."

Gin all but bolted to the door-

--

**"Shakkahō!"**

**--**

And was cast back by an enormous explosion!

--

Hinamori Momo felt a sudden surge of reaitsu.

Then she saw the fire.

"A hollow?"

Her task had been to eliminate hollows in this town, but...

Not wasting a moment, she sped to the scene.

--

(Soul Society)

"NO!"

Ichigo was in a rage, tearing the room apart when he noticed two items of his were missing.

Two orbs actually, but their significance was _paramount_ to the success of his plan.

The orbs themselves had been locked up in a safe-

A safe that had been blasted of its hinges, the door left ajar and upon the floor.

"BITCH! She took them!"

Those were two of his experimental shinigami orbs!

Through outright combat or deceit, he had killed many a shinigami over the past, and once doing so, had found a way to crystallize their powers into condensed form.

The intruder had taken two captain class orbs.

He visibly restrained himself from pursuing the thief.

In fact...

"No. This is still salvageable."

When the idea hit him, a wicked grin grew over his face.

A distraction...

"Perfect. It's perfect!"

--

(Elsewhere)

He tilted his bucket hat up and pushed off his cane for balance.

He had fallen asleep standing again.

Damn, she was taking her time with this!

The sound of footsteps approached, just as he was about to nod off again.

"I got them."

"That was fast."

She frowned, sensing just a touch of sarcasm.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you feel that explosion?" He added rather hastily, wishing to divert her wrath.

A nod, as she pulled out an obi to tie back her hair into a ponytail.

"Yup. Look's like he's started to awaken."

"His sister seems to have a power as well."

"I'm more interested in the first." She replied casually.

"Easy there."

She seemed puzzled.

"What?"

"Don't be gettin' any ideas now." The blond chuckled. "I know you're interested in him and all but-

This earned him a smack upside the head, sending him spinning in a twirl. Somehow he managed to make it look graceful, coming to a smooth halt after a second or two.

She shook her head in mild exasperation, before stretching.

"Which one's did you get anyway?" He asked, readjusting his bucket hat.

Honeysuckle yellow eyes glinted with amusement, a wide grin covering her face as she swayed across the room from him. A hand swept aside a strand of violet hair from her tan face, before dipping into a small pouch strapped to her hip.

When it emerged, it held two orbs.

"These."

One was a deep pure black, that seemed to pulse with a perpetual heartbeat. The other was a reflective whitish gold, that seemed to shine no matter which angle it was held at.

She tossed them to him, and he fumbled to catch them.

"These two?! Are you nuts?!"

This drew a smile from the bronze woman.

"Kurosaki's probably pissed."

They had both felt the sharp spike of reiatsu.

Oh yes, he was pissed.

"So what about our little friend?"

"Hmm?"

The one sent to Karakura town?

"Taken care of. After all, she'll meet him soon enough....

**If you don't know who i just introduced, then u, dear reader, have a problem. And yes, Gin and Kaname will get their powers as well.**


	4. The Breaking

Momo's thoughts were with her captain as she sped through the streets.

_'I hope Isshin-taichou is alright..._

If only she knew...

--

Sparks flew as they clashed, perpetual moonlight shone down on them.

The captain neatly sidestepped an overhand slash with a minute shun-po and rained blurring blows upon his enemy. Slowly at first, but with growing precision, the strawberry blond blocked them all, and returned a few blows of his own, in turn blocked. The two warriors began to test upward and upward the limits of their power, and it was a terrible sight to behold. Every miss destroyed a pillar, every blocked hit made a crater.

Isshin vaulted over the blade, and dealt his son a brutal kick to the face.

In the past, the move had often been in jest, but was now packed with all the considerable power the captain possessed. In other words, it hurt like hell. Ichigo was sent tumbling through the air, bouncing back along the dunes. He saw stars, head reeling from the kick.

Spitting his rage, he ground both hands into the hilt, using the blade to slow his skid.

Isshina appeared above Ichigo, blade raised high, just as the skid stopped.

Brown eyes widened as he felt the air of the incoming strike.

"Shout: Zangetsu!"

All at once, Ichigo's reaitsu leapt, forcing the 5th squad captain back a pace, and thusly preventing the killing blow. He now held Zangetsu in its shikai form. Its massive butcher hook shape gleamed in the night, as if hungry for blood.

Despite himself and the situation, the proud father smiled.

"You have become strong, Ichigo. I am so very proud of you."

At this, Ichigo's face twisted in rage.

"Shut up! I don't need your praise!"

A wave of dark blue slammed into Isshin seconds later...

Or rather, his hand.

He had caught the attack, and though he skidded back a step, he slapped it aside with his left hand. It was if he had simply tossed a baseball over his back.

splitting the sands behind him.

Ichigo was stunned.

_'That...That should have ripped him apart!'_

Kurosaki Isshin showed his son a smoking palm.

"Impressive. You actually singed the skin a bit."

Realizing he would not last without it, he held out his blade.

"Arise: Kurayami!"

A flash of white, as the shikai was activated!

Ichigo found himself looking on in a mix of satisfaction and horror as the shortsword changed.

It split in two.

The left sword was slightly wider, its blade a pure golden yellow, and above the handle, there was a round circle and with two spikes protruding on the left and right sides of the circle. What made the sword unique though was that the circle was completely red, with a faint indent of another circle in the big circle's centre.

The right sword was longer, the purest of pure white, and there were two small circles on the spikes that came out above the handle. But instead of an indent of a sun, it had a moon on each.

He also found two sheaths that were tied somehow on his father's back in a cross. He couldn't see them, but his mind could somehow just tell what colour they were.

The colour of one sheath was orange, with two blue stripes on the top and the size was wider. The other sheath however, was the exactly the same as the first, only opposite colours, and that it was longer.

"I hope your mother forgives me."

Raising his two swords, positioning his right arm above behind him with the sword tip facing forwards, as his left arm was just held in front of him normally. His legs were evenly balanced and tensed, ready for any sudden attack.

His right zanpaktou began to pulse, leaving afterimages of itself as it was swung.

"Kamataichi!"

A crescent simlair to the Tenshou wave exploded from first blade's tip. It was horizontal in its angle. Then a wave of gold light spouted from the second blade. It was vertical in its angle, and overlapped the first strike, creating what looked like a cross.

Ichigo swung in kind, just before the attack consumed him.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

Blue met yellow, creating a dome of green which spread out over the sands. It grew for miles, as the two shinigami clashed within it.

Father and son.

Isshin caught Zangetsu on the right of his blade, then drew blood across Ichigo's cheek with the other. The lieutenant would have lost his head, had he not jerked his head to the left.

"Ichigo stop!" Pleaded Isshin, as their blades met time and time again, with his son receiving a new injury for every block. With every swing it felt as if Isshin were stabbing himself in the own stomach. "Give up this foolhardy ideal!"

This is what it felt like to battle one's own child, to draw blood and show no quarter....

Expecting none in return.

Ichigo continued to swing like a demon, no matter how many times he was cut.

Now fire burned in his eyes and a sneer formed on his mouth. "I'm just getting started! I'll show ya what its really like to fight!" The bloodlust aura raged outward, making deep, bloody gashes seem to appear across the captain's lower body for a split-second, and the lieutenant's spirit pressure heightened.

"This is...

Ichigo placed one hand upon the flat of his blade.

A manic light shone in his eyes.

"Watch closely! This is the last thing you'll ever see!"

Isshina paled.

That power, it made the very sands rumble...

He knew what was coming next, as the pillars began to crumble behind the monster that had been his son.

A humming sound was heard as he thrust out the zanpaktou.

"Bankai!"

Isshin stood, rigid in anticipation for the true fight about to commence.

The cloud of smoke was swept away.

Ichigo's Bankai actually shrunk his sword down to a daitō (Japanese long sword) with a black blade, handguard in the shape of the manji (which is the kanji for "ban," meaning "full"). The cloth wrapped around the hilt was replaced by a short chain with a broken link, similar to that of a Plus. In addition to his sword, Ichigo's robe was replaced with a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat with red lining that is closed at his chest, much like that of Zangetsu himself.

He sneered evilly, and reached to the lieutenant patch on his shoulder.

He crushed it in his bare hand, and let it sprinkle to the ground in dust.

Breaking the last bond between him and his father.

"Get ready. When this ends, there will be only one captain."

Isshin was too stunned to dodge the initial strike.

He staggered back as a wave of dark energy ripped into his chest.

The son threw his blade upwards, cutting and slashed across his fathers chest.

Isshin simply could not keep up with this kind of speed.

This was a battle that mere mortals simply could not comprehend.

Ichigo laughed in delight at the incredible battle before him. His blade felt as if it were a hundred pounds lighter than it had ever been before, but he realized that this was its true weight. For a time, he had feared using his blade, lest he lose control... Now it was an extension of himself; He felt as if he was using only his own power to fight, and that was how it should be.

A duel to the death.

Resorting to trickery, Isshin threw a cloud of sand into his son's face, blinding him.

"Gah!" Ichigo clawed at his eyes furiously.

Kurosaki Isshin backpedaled to buy some time. He went to one knee, blinked away the sweat that had beaded upon his brow, and sucked in a ragged breath.

_'He's too fast. I need to slow him down..._

A wild laugh, as Ichigo got the gravel out of his eyes.

He now began to twirl his blade on one finger.

"Awww, getting tired already, pops?"

Isshin's response was to resort to kidou.

Putting a strand on his body, he summoned as much reaitsu as he could in the space of one second.

**"Bakudou #61** - Rikujoukourou!"

The shafts of light came from six different angles, pinning his son, who now struggled mightily.

Isshin took that time to reflect on his faults, as he held his zanpaktou in a mirrored angle, crisscrossed.

He had been tricked into coming here. He had been blind. Blind to the monster his son had become.

What a fool he he had been.

There was no other alternative now, other than to kill his son.

"It appears I have no choice."

A black aura permeated the air.

"Behold my son!"

Ichigo knew what was coming, and shattered the spell.

Too late.

Isshin uttered the word sharply.

"Bankai!"

When the black light faded, Isshin rose from his crouch, head hung low, sparks still dancing around him.

"It's been a long time since I used this form."

In his right hand, he now clutched a _magnificient_ weapon, that looked like it had been forged in the very fires of heaven, and seemed to radiate white brilliance.

Its pallid blue edge shone with the light from a thousand suns, he would make its name well known to, his son. In his right hand he had a pure black blade, similair to Zangetsu, but it appeared to be thicker, more heavily armored than the other, leading one to fear it just as much.

Whit armour coated his upper arms, the plating extending to his hands and legs, and ending in a red cape.

He resembled a knight.

He opened his eyes, and now they were a shimmering crystal blue. His brown hair now stood up on edge, nearly spikier than Zaraki-taichou's. Two strands of it hung down over his face, partially into his eyes, adding to his mysterious appearance.

Terrible white light seemed to emanate from him, and he hefted the massive broadsword at an angle.

"I will end this now, my son."

A larg bloody x appeared on Ichigo's chest, and he vomitted blood.

His father was now behind him.

"You cannot win!"

Their battle continued like this for what seemed to be hours. Like vengeful angels, each one flitted about the sky and earth, striking furiously, only for their target to dissapear in a lightning fast shunpo.

Finally, Isshin scored a direct hit.

His blade ripped off the sleeve of the younger man, and in doing so, carved a harsh gash the length of his arm.

Ichigo screamed and held his arm, falling down to one knees.

"Damnit!"

Kurosaki Isshin stood over his son, a look of sorrow etched into his face.

A blade was pressed to the wounded arm.

"Ichigo, why...? Why would you lure me here? Just to kill me?"

Ichigo's spat at him.

"Just to kill you...?" He began to laugh. "You have no idea, old man."

A dark tint crept across his eyes.

The air shimmered darkly.

**"You shoulda killed me when I was still in the womb!"**

Faster than the eye could see...

It was over.

Isshin coughed up blood.

A numbness began to creep over him Zangetsu had pierced his chest, and now stuck out the other side.

A lone tear dripped out of his eye.

"Karin, Yuzu...Forgive...me...

Then the blade was ripped out.

"Now...I can finally start."

--

_Tell me, what do you want?_

_'What do I...want?'_

A laugh.

_C'mon partner. You have to want_ something_...._

He grasped at the first thing that came to mind.

_'Strength. To protect my friends.'_

_Good answer. Now, I believe you need a guide..._

A moment of silence as the voice left...

It would make use of a host for now.

--

Isshin Kurosaki's corpse jerked up as a white spirit flooded it, changed it, warped it...

Until it had some resemblance of Aizen Sousuke.

The being sat up.

_"This will do."_

_--_

The hollows sprang back as the being appeared before them.

It looked like a shinigami, but it did not have the reaitsu pertaining to one.

All of them fled, but for one.

_Ah. She will do..._Mused the mysterious being.

He beckoned authoritatively.

_Come, Adjuchas. I have need of you._

She bared her teeth in a snarl.

_"I can give you power. The power to crush your enemies with one swing of your arm. The might to tear your opponents to pieces."_ he fell silent for a brief moment and then continued in a melodic, enchantingly beautiful voice _"The possibility to execute your revenges. Do you and your companion wish to join me under the prospect of unending power and only a small inconvenience to get rid of?"_

She took a step - But it was too late, the man had grabbed her mask.

Panic seized her! His fingers dug underneath it, and began to pull, to tug at that which hid her emotions away from the world. She hissed and spit growls and snarls at him, thrashing, bucking wildly at his grip. He scolded her for this, and pulled hard, as hairline pressure points became wider cracks, then fissures..

_Come now, that is no way to speak to your master._

His hand was like an iron clasp. She could not escape it, no matter how hard she tried.

An inch higher. A sharp cry, a litany of indistinguishable curses.

… _whyareyoudoingthistouswhathavewedoneWHATHAVEWEDONE..._

Energy flooded her, and the adjuchas gasped.

She wanted to drown himself in this energy; the power manifested, the eternity itself.

Two inches more. A wall of wails, a distinct crack of a bone.

… _wehaveaccompaniedyouWEWERESOCLOSETOYOUandnowyouaredoingthisstopnow..._

The streams of energy suddenly retreated, leaving her in the middle of screaming voices.

Alone.

… _stopnowstopnowstopnowNOWNOWNOW!_

And when she was about to give up, to let the mask go and make those ear-piercing noises vanish, after the last convulsive throw of arms the mask broke and darkness engulfed everything.

She felt something stir at the edges of her conciousness...

A chuckle.

_That's better. Now, open your eyes..._

The hollow was not sure she wanted to.

_--_

(Meanwhile)

_'Wait! Why did you ask-_

_Open your eyes. _The voice that sounded so much like his own commanded, flooding back into his mind.

Sousuke Aizen blinked his eyes a few times, as the white light from the explosion faded from his eyes.

_Now...behold._

The icy prescence abruptly left him.

All that met his eyes was an endless nightime wasteland of a desert, with the sounds of blades clashing in the background.

How had he ended up here?

"Where...

"What the fuck?!"

He spun round, and found himself face to face with an odd looking individual, who was looking at _him _as if he had two heads.

Her height was emphasized by his a thin, lanky yet very well endowed body. Her black hair hangs past her shoulders concealing the left side of her face along with a large white eyepatch. The eyepatch hides her eye, but it was unclear as to whether she actually needed it.

"Who are you?" She hissed, suddenly on edge, judging by the way she now slammed her scythe down into the sands. "And why the hell am I here-

She now looked down at herself, and did a double take, as if just noticing...

Well, herself.

"Huh?! Hands...

She now looked over the rest of herself.

"Feet?"

Her clothing consists of a modified jacket with an overblown spoon-like hood and an opening starting at the neckline showing most of her midsection...

Giving emphasis to the ample bossom that was practically _spilling_ out of it. It closed at her curved waist. She wore a standard hakama but the ends of her pant-legs close inside her boots which are extended and curved at the end making it look like she was wearing wicked-witch boots.

Attached to her hip was a circlet of chains, attached to which was a series of chains....

Ending in a rather nasty looking scythe, which she had hoisted over her shoulder unconciously.

"The hell's a _human_ doing here?" She murmurred to herself, peering at him angrily, calming a bit, when he did not provoke her. Unfortunately, this did not give Aizen the answers he sought.

He was now _very_ confused.

"And where might _here_ be?"

The stranger laughed harshly, as she bent down to press one finger against the arid sands.

"Give me _one_ good reason for tellin-

She suddenly recoiled as if shocked.

Now a hand pulled up at the eyepatch.

Revealed was a perfectly normal eye.

"Alright, if you don't tell me who ya are, I'm gonna friggin' split ya in half."

That wasn't going to work.

"Then... may I ask you your name first before you kill me?"

She seemed roll her eye.

"Fine, if it'll get ya to shaddap."

She jerked a thumb towards her breasts.

"Noi Jiruga."

"Aizen Sousuke." He said this before she could swing.

She stared at him for a second, before flipping the eyepatch shut.

"Pfft. Why did ya do this to me?"

She gestured to herself.

"You made me an arrancar."

Wisely, he did not admit to not knowing a damn thing about this.

Secretly, he suspected this _voice _of his, to have some part in this.

_Lie you fool! _It hissed at him, as he did not know what the voice was, nor what it wanted with him. _'Tell her she owes you her eternal loyalty!'_

"You owe me your services, then, Noi-san. It is because of me that you have these powers." This was not his forte at all. He prayed this voice wouldn't get him killed.

She seemed to stiffen, and for a second, he thought this was the end.

Surprisingly, she lowered her scythe.

Her words came out forced.

"Well, since ya created me, _Aizen-sama,_ guess I owe ya an exit-

She touched at the sky, and it parted, in a black rip.

"Well, whaddya waiting for?"

_Wait! Demand her services in the future! _Inisisted the voice.

Well, it hadn't steered him wrong thus far...

"I wish to return her occasionally. How may I do so?"

She grabbed his hand, baring her teeth in a grin, her hand forming a point.

"Ya sure about that?"

A nod...

What was he getting himself into?

Her grip tightened.

"Good."

Something was suddenly thrust into his chest, as if he had been stabbed. Aizen Sousuke gagged and doubled over, spectacles falling from his face and upon the sands.

"There." She huffed. "Now ya can come and go as ya please." Almost as an afterthought, she spoke again. "Oh, and don't worry, I didn't put a hole in ya."

"Appreciated." He wheezed out, drawing in a ragged breath, the life giving oxygen returning to him.

All at once, she seemed to fidget a bit.

He looked...

Interesting without those glasess of his.

"But...I hope ya come back soon!" Her words came out in a blur.

Was that a...

Blush on her face?

But before he could figure it out-

Unceremoniously, she booted him through the rip.

--

(Earth)

"Oh, please don't be dead!"

Aizen opened his eyes blearily.

The room was in shambles, and fires were everywhere, blazing about with en

"Wha...

A girl in a kimono stood over him.

"Oh, he's awake." She murmurred to himself.

She was then slinging him unceremoniously over her shoulder.

"I better get him outside-

"Um...Why are you talking to yourself?" Asked Aizen, as he was still in a daze from his journey.

Hinamori nearly dropped him right then and there.

"Reh?! You can see me?!"

A hazy nod.

"Uh...nevermind! I have to get you outside!"

He assumed outside meant she would carry him.

He did _not_ realize that meant throwing him through the door.

--

Gin fell back with an "OOF!" as Aizen practically crashed into him, Kaname, and several other firefighters. The fire department had come upon seeing the smoke.

"Aizen!"

He passed out.

--

The next few hours were dull and boring, filled with fitful slumber in the hospital room. Despite the fact he was entirely fine, they insisted on him staying the night.

_'I hope ya come back soon!' _Noi's words echoed in his head.

Curious, he reached out.

And the rip opened.

Sousuke blinked a few times.

Each time the rip was still there, waiting for him to enter.

_'Am I seeing things?'_

He stuck a hand in-

And something grabbed him!

--

"HA!"

He ate a faceful of sand, as he was flipped into the portal.

A pair of arms pinned him.

"Yuck." He groaned, spitting out a sandy glob.

"Hmm? Oh, you're here again."

He was released.

He blinked, and found himself back in that strange place again.

Noi stood over him.

"Damn, what the hell happened to you?"

"Alot." He grumbled, in no mood for pleasantries, rolling over onto his back. "Could you not do that?"

This seemed to annoy her.

"Then how the hell can I tell if its you?!"

"A sign perhaps?"

"Whuzzat?" She clearly did not understand.

Aizen spent the next hour or so explaining it to her.

She nodded her head once, breasts bouncing from the motion.

"This human world of yours sounds interesting."

A thoughtful expression appeared on her usually savage face.

"Maybe I'll go there sometime."

Aizen paled a bit.

"...I suppose that would be...interesting...

He went back soon afterwards.

--

"Ichigo Kurosaki, in light of your father's dissapearance, will you take up the position of captain for the 5th division."

Kurosaki Ichigo could only smile, as he put on the act of a lifetime, pretending to be the grieving son, who had been away when his father was oh so _tragically _killed by an invasion of hollows upon Soul Society.

"Understood, Yamamoto-san. I will find his killer and bring him to justice! I swear it!"

Everyone applauded him.

Ichigo exchanged a glance with his two co-conspirators.

Rukia Kuchiki gave him a minute nod of approval. "I too promise to find this villain and make him pay for his crimes!"

Abarai Renji was barely able to sustain his compsure, and looked to be on the verge of 'tears'.

"Not if I get him first! I'll have that scumbag begging for mercy!"

Yamamato gave them each a nod.

"We are counting on you three."

Oh yes, the three soon to be traitors played their parts to _perfection_.

And not a soul suspected them.

For now...

**5th sex reversal by ~sweetcrescent. go to this profile on deviantart to see what Fem. Nnoitra looks like. Note: There will be a few espada gender swaps in this fic.**


	5. The Reaping

**Please look at my profile! I added some new character bio's!**

He slept fitfully that night, his slumber filled with odd dreams, which basically consisted of rapid fire images. Voices, both familair and alien, riocheted round in his head, whilst he tossed and turned amongst the sheets. Images, of that sandy place, then of his hometown, and now a castle, flashed through his head.

He saw strangers, friends, and some things that a man should never see. Sights that would drive even Gin to madness, voices thatwould make even the level headed Kaname cringe.

_'Aizen-sama, I am indebted to you..._

_'Ha! That the best you can do, ryoka?!'_

_'Baka! I TOLD you not to fight him yourself!'_

The first two had been unknown and unfamiliar, but that third one had most definitely belonged to Noi. The sound of her voice was already hardwired into his brain. After all, she was very hard to forget...

For a moment he felt at peace...

Then the new voices washed over him again.

Now, a male voice spoke.

_'Stupid human. Why are you doing this? What can you possibly hope to accomplish with something as insignificant as your death?'_

His own voice answered the first, but it sounded....

Different. It wasn't the voice that had talked to him earlier, and it wasn't his own....

But rather a mixture of the two.

_'Everything. If I can do this, then I'll have the power.'_

_'And what will you use that power for?' _A different voice now.

Again the other Aizen answered, but now it was forced, pained almost.

_'To save them. To save everyone!'_

New voices now, as he saw the castle again in his minds eye, but for a second, then the images were a constant, indecipherable blur before his confused sleeping eyes.

They were coming faster now, and he couldn't judge the scenario's, as each voice was different then the last. They were oddly clear though, despite the fact that neither was the same as the first.

_'We will follow you, Aizen-sama. Because you have shown us what it is to be human, you have our loyalty...._

_'Idiot! Are you_ trying _to die?!'_

_'Bah! Is that the best you can do, shinigami?! They told me you were stronger than this!'_

_'Kami, what am I gonna do with you? You had me worried sick.'_

_'I...wi-want t-to give you my heart. It-It's very precious to m-me... P-Please don't break it, Aizen-sama..._

The voice of that girl again....

_'Is that your best scum? She's as good as dead if this is the really the best you and your friends can do..._

_'She....didn't make it.' _

A wave of sadness now, crashing down upon him, dragging him down to the murky depths. It was like the oxygen had left his lungs, and his joy had been strangled. Even though he did not know who was speaking, nor the identity of who 'did not make it', he still felt as if it was his fault.

Why was that?

The images were coming faster now, and the sounds were blurred with static, as if he were getting bad reception on a television. As if he wasn't properly tuned in on a radio.

The picture cleared, and he found himself in a clearing.

Another voice, but this one was cruel.

"_Told you, no? You suck. You're just a pathetic kid who's trying to imitate the master! Listen. Just give up. For you, Bankai is just too great!_"

"_Hey, what do you think the difference between the king and his horse is? I'm not talking about some kiddy shit like 'one is a man and the other is a horse' or 'one has two legs and the other has four. If there were two beings with exactly same appearance, abilities and powers, and if one of them becomes the king and dominates the fight, while the other becomes the horse and carries the king, what do you think the difference between the two is?"_

Aizen had no answer...

Or rather, he did not want to.

_"There's one answer: INSTINCT! What the being with the same power needs in order to achieve a greater power, what the one to become the king needs is that absolute lust for battle which seeks fight and desires power, shattering the enemy and destroying it without mercy! I mean that instinct for slaughter carved deep inside ourselves and sharpened completely! That's what you don't have! Any of that raw instinct! You fight with reason and try to beat others with reason! Just who are you going to slash with a sheathed sword? That's why you're weaker than me! That's why y__ou're no better than your old man!'_

At the mention of his father, _Aizen lost it._

Too much! It was too much!

"STOP!" He suddenly bellowed. "LEAVE ME BE!"

A wild laugh, as the voices built to a crescendo-

Finally, they subsided and he was suspended in darkness.

Just hanging there.

His eyes opened.

His feet were clearly resting on something solid, and he looked down-

To see that this former attire was gone.

In its place was black robe with a white thin robe underneath. Clearly it acted as a undergarment. On his feet were white socks with brown sandals that are tied few inches above the ankles. The robe itself was basically a pair of black hakama with a black haori, tied together by a white sash around the waist line. In addition to the black robe, the haori itself was sleeveless.

Tied to his side was a sheathe, but there was no sword in it, nor in his Aizen could marvel further at his new wardrobe...All of a sudden, people appeared.

They began walking past him.

And then _through_ him, as if he were transparent....

No, they were transparent. If one looked close enough, you could see right through their ethereal forms, bodies that lacked color of any sort. Even the eyes were white, with black pupils.

Some of then had odd parts of bone on them, and some looked to be entirely normal...The whole ghost thing aside. However, each individual, regardless of appearance, seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere...

And in doing so constantly passed through him, leaving the high schooler with a bitter chill in the very depths of his soul.A chilly sensation passed through him, and he shivered in a mix of revulsion and disgust.

What was this place?

The beings walked a few steps or so, before they were swallowed up in the darkness. The expressions set upon their faces were blank, soulless, expressionless as if they were mere puppets, being directed by a puppeteer.

Curious, he reached out to touch a specter, one that looked vaguely familair...

"Aaaaaah!!" Screeched the girl, as his hand passed through her! Her head jerked back, and she went into spasms, as if she was being electrocuted! "AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Louder this time.

Aizen sprang back as if he had been burned. Much to his surprise, he watched the ghost like apparition fade away from his sight...

But as this happened, color suddenly came back to her, and she was suddenly no longer transparent.

Everyone stopped running, to witness what happened next.

Her hair, once a pallid white, suddenly became a bright strawberry blondish orange, and her eyes now regained their steely grey color. A light tan tint returned to her skin, and she inhaled sharply, as her nondescript appearance became significantly more endowed. The simple drab robe she had been wearing was gone, and in its place was...

An outfit similar to his own, except low cut at the chest, so as to expose her ample assets.

Orhime blinked a few times, then shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts.

"Uh....What...happened?"

She looked down at her outfit before he could speak. And a bright cherry red blush turned her face scarlet. "Eep!" She squeaked, pulling the robes tighter about herself in an effort to hide her breasts, which were pratically spilling out of her kimono. However, there was very little fabric in the first place, and most of it looked to be painted on her every line and curve.

Long story short, covering her chest didn't work very well.

Then she noticed Aizen.

"S-Sosuke-kun! W-What's going on?!"

Aizen could only blink, stupefied by what had just happened.

"I...don't really know..."

A low rumble caught his attention.

"You....

Now the crowd of spirits was staring at them both. First, they looked longingly to Orihime, as if to envy her bright colors in this world of black and white. They looked at their dull drab clothes, their pallid white hands, then stared at the person next to them...

So on and so forth.

They eventually seemed to understand that the all looked the same. Their gaze flickered from Aizen to Inoue, and they apparently reached the conclusion that it was he, this robed one, who had made the change.

Which would explain what they did next.

As one, the crowd of thousands got down on one knee, their heads inclined in respect.

"ALL HAIL AIZEN-SAMA!" The cacophony of voices echoed out. "Please let us serve you!"

Sousuke could only stare.

"Serve...me...?"

"Hai!" Echoed the masses.

Orihime looked like a lost kitten at this point.

"Um...Sousuke-kun, do you know them?"

The 2nd year shook his head.

"No, I-

A laugh, he was suddenly alone in the dark.

Everyone was gone, including Inoue.

_Wondering about your powers, boy? _

A mirror suddenly popped into existence, and he found himself gravitated towards it.

Sousuke approached it, and at first saw nothing, only his own reflection...

_Over here dipshit._

The voice made him jump, and only then did he realize...

That there was another reflection in the mirror.

It was behind him.

Startled, he spun round-

But there was nothing there in the blackness. Not a sound echoed in that dark place, aside from his suddenly heavy breathing. A laugh seemed to echo all around him, but

He again turned to face the mirror....

But now his reflection was gone, and _someone else_ was standing there.

Aizen was staring at what would have to be a pale reflection of himself.

It looked _exactly _like him, except there were absolutely no traces of color to be found anywhere on its person. It was almost as if someone had taken a big tub of bleach and dumped it all over him. The sole exception to this would have to be the black sclera and golden yellow irises. Those piercing eyes reflected a sharp intellect, a cold and calculating intelligence that he knew all too well...

His own.

_Well, are ya? _It asked him again, a slight smirk twisting his face. _I can tell. You're just _dyin' _ta know._

"Who...?" He began.

The being shook its head and wagged a pallid grey finger reproachfully.

Its voice was a duplicate of his own as well, but it sounded almost as if the relfection was speaking with an undercurrent. It was as if the apparition was underwater, but the words still came out. They were calm and clear, yet echoed, with the other voice, his own and something that sounded like a twisted, distored version of his own voice.

_Ah,ah, ah. The king can only ask his horse one question._

He had many questions, but only one must be answered, had to be answered now.

"Very well then. What are these 'powers'? Why are all these strange things happening to me?"

The being snickered slightly.

_Bout time ya asked me._ He turned to go, and the blackness faded.

He gestured into the mirror.

_C'mon. _

Dreading what might be on the other side...

Aizen Sousuke stepped through. The glass rippled at his touch, but parted as he stepped in after the apparition. He nearly jumped back out, as thousands of colors and sounds permeated the darkness all at once.

They were now in a small clearing. A pool of pure crystal water was ahead of them, and a waterfall poured down into it. Rich foliage hung here and there, but it was tame, and not unruly. The sound of birds filled his ears, their constant chirping and calling, as if to say "Over here!"

He found himself holding out a finger-

And a small bluejay swept down to perch upon his finger. There was a minute flash of pain as its talons dug into the digit...

Then nothing.

No blood, no pain...

Nothing at all.

It tilted its head to the right and chirped, its meaning all to clear.

"Hello!"

_This, m'boy is your mindscape. _Explained his reflection. _It reflects your inner thoughts, feelings and desires. _He now gestured to the bluejay, which chirped cheerfully at him.

_See that little one right there? Remember her name._

_Kyōka Suigetsu._ The words just popped into his head.

"Shatter."

He spoke it aloud, and the bird fluttered of his fingertip with a happy chirp, beginning to glow-

In a flash of light...

Before him stood what had to be the most _beautiful_ woman he had ever lain eyes upon.

When the transformation was complete he was faced with a young woman that was 5'9 and had rich, navy blue hair. She was wearing a light blue kimono, decorated silvery swirls representing wind upon it abd with a sliver obi around her waist along with a design of a silver phoenix adorned her back. Her black zori sandals also had silver straps.

While she was dressed modestly, her features were only further accentuated by her kimono. Her kimono adequately covered everything yet it was impossible not to notice that she had a somewhat sizeable bust, particularly due to the fact that she was standing right in front of him and that's where his eyes happened to be if he dared to look at her.

With how tightly the obi was tied around her waist it was possible to see that she only had a slight frame, as he surveyed her whole body. Her body tapered down from her slender shoulders to her waist before flaring out again for her hips, giving her a full figured appearance. When he looked at her face he was captivated, her alabaster skin looked so beautifully smooth and her features just seemed…perfect. She had high cheek bones and a slender face. Her eyes were big and the most _entrancing_ shade of sea blue, captivating him as though he were her prey.

He was snapped out of his mind's wanderings when he felt her arms snake around his body and envelop him in a hug.

"Hello." She murmurred into his ear.

Her very breath was cold, icy almost.

Inner Aizen, as that was the only thing Sousuke could think to actually _name _this apparition, laughed at the how awkward the high schooler looked to be just now.

_I'll give ya another freebie kid. This here's Kyoka. But she'll probably prefer it if ya call her Kyo-chan._ A wink now, as the girl released him to give a low bow. _Trust me, you two will be seeing PLENTY of each other soon enough._

She spoke again, and Aizen was hypnotized by her voice.

"Hello, master."

Everything went black again, and it was just the two of them.

Inner Aizen approached the genuine article.

_Lemme tell ya this part last. Like me, you're not human.'_

Aizen opened his mouth to protest, but Nezia **(Reverse of Aizen's name)** silenced him with a glare._ 'You have a rare power, kid. Its called shattering. You're able to break down the boundraries between the spirits. Human, hollow, shinigami, its all out there for ya. Just like yer pops. It lets you bring out the best, or the worst in people. Be careful how ya use it. You'll be needin' it in the future._

A palid hand grasped his face suddenly.

_Oh, and one last thing. Don't EVER dissapoint me, ya got that?_

A voice woke him before he could ask further...

_--_

Aizen was in for a VERY odd surprise when he woke up.

"Um....

He blinked a few times...

It was that girl from before standing over him.

She blinked as he stared up at her.

"Hello?" He ventured.

She drew back and let out a small squeak of surprise.

"Eep! You _can_ see me!"

"Um...is there something wrong with that?"

The sound of hand slap was heard.

"Yes there is!"

And that was how Aizen Sosuke, and Hinamori Momo met.


	6. And So it Begins

**Note: I'm changing the name of Aizen's mother to Ayame. Simply because it sounds better.**

Aizen sat up rubbing the side of his face.

"Must you do that _everytime_ we meet?"

Momo blushed lightly.

"H-How can you see me?"

Aizen blinked sleepily before swinging one leg over the edge of the bed, then another.

"How can I see you? You say that as if I'm blind."

He stood up, and Hinamori took a small step _backwards_, as she saw just how tall he was. Indeed, he towered over her, with his prescence. However, reflected in the brown pools of his eyes, was nothing but the utmost of kindness.

She jumped when he spoke.

"Perhaps we started out on the wrong foot." He now extended his hand to her, in a gesture of peace and friendship. "My name is Sosuke Aizen. It is very nice to meet you."

Hinamori eyed the hand warily, but when he made no threatening moves, she reluctantly took it and shook.

"Hinamori Momo."

Aizen took a step back as she now peered at him closely.

"You look normal-

Aizen blinked as she reached up to feel at his face, turning his head from side to side. "Hmm...You must be defective in some way...

"Excuse me? That's rather rude." His face held just a trace of annoyance now.

"Who are you anyway?"

"You really want to know? I'm a soul reaper."

(One lengthy explanation later)

Aizen leaned back in the chair.

"So, let me get this straight. You were sent here on a mission by something called the soul society."

A nod.

"And you're here, to exterminate these demons, called hollows?"

A nod.

"That chase after innocent souls."

A nod.

"Well, I suppose that's believable."

**"GRAAAAAAAAA!"**

The entire house now shook, throwing them both off balance, and onto the floor.

A scream was heard seconds later.

"Ai! Aina!"

Aizen's eyes tripled.

"Mom!"

He shoved past Hinamori, heedless of her cries for him to stop.

"No choice, then-

Faster than he could see, she appeared before him, then ran two fingers across his fingers in a slashing motion.

"Bakudo #1: Sai!"

Aizen gasped, as he felt something bind his arms, then his entire body couldn't move. It was as if his joints were glued together, and the sticky paste in his veins prevented him from moving.

"Stay here!" Called Hinamori over her shoulder, as she ran out the door.

A massive wave of something nearly blew the shinigami off the her feet.

"Its huge! How did I miss this?!"

Ai came staggering around the corner, as Momo ran out the door.

She was in worse shape than before, badly scratched and bruised all over. She fell to the floor, but propped herself up on her elbows, reaching out for him.

"Big brother...its...Aina, she's benn...got to...save her...

His sister collapsed before she could say more.

Momo bent to check her pulse, but another scream distracted her, and she ran down the hallway.

"Wait! Shinigami! Come back here and untie me!"Pleaded Aizen.

Another scream.

"AINA!"

In that moment, his resolve hardened.

_'Move!'_

Willing his limbs to move, he got to his knees.

_'Move!'_

Then he found his footing.

_'MOVE!'_

Heedless of his ow safety, he inched his way down the hall.

Unfortunately, he forgot about the stairs...

--

Momo turned to look as he bounced down the stairs, facefirst.

That impact looked to be rather painful.

"What are you doing?!"

Groaning, he forced himself to his feet.

Needless to say, Hinamori was amazed.

_'How can he stand when he's under my spell..._

"Let me go!" Screamed Aina, as the hollow held her in its massive fist. It squeezed harder, and she howled in raw agony. The beast's masked face seemed set in a perpetual grin, almost as if it were enjoying the pain it was causing his sister. It now clamped another hand over her and began to squeeze even harder.

Her pained cries and sobs galvanized Sosuke.

Something started to beat inside of him. The sound grew louder, louder, until it was dull pounding that obscurred all else. He raised his bound arms that were frozen behind his back...

"Stop! The kido's too strong for you! You'll damage your soul!"

"Shut...up...Aizen growled through clenched teeth. His polite manner was gone, all traces of formality had up and vanished. All that was left was the base need to protect his family.

His arms began to move, as he grit his teeth together fiercely.

"I...

_'What?'_

...Have to...

_'He's...breaking the kido?'_

...DO THIS!" For the first time in a _long time_, Sosuke Aizen screamed. It was a fierce roar, but there was absolutely nothing human about it. It sounded more like that of a hollow's screech than anything else.

And the spell shattered.

_'That's impossible!'_

The moment he could move his arms, Aizen ran.

He snatched up the first thing his eyes fell upon, an old wooden chair.

"Let her go!"

The hollow smashed him aside with a fist. He was sent flying like a rag doll, and bounced on the street a few times, before coming to a stop.

**"I found you, you little shit!" **Cackled the hollow, as its free hand lunged for him.

"No!" Wailed Aina.

Momo slashed before the beast could get a hold of him. The hollow screamed as blood sprayed through the air like a crimson fountain, creating a ruby red mist in the air.

**"Gah! You stupid slut! My arm!"**

Howling in pain, it lashed out, catching her in the arm.

The distinctive sound of breaking bone was heard, as Momo was flung back into a wall.

It turned back towards Aizen, grinning.

**"Now...where were we, boy?"**

"You...

Was this thing _Bruce?_

**"That's right. You turned me into this thing. And for what you did to me, I'm gonna rip your friggin head off, then I'm gonna fuck BOTH your sisters senseless!"**

That is, until a giant scythe whipped out of the air, cutting deeper into the shallow gash Momo had inflicted upon it. Almost immediately, Aizen noticed the crescent shape.

"Noi?"

The zanpaktou was there only briefly, but then it recoiled back into the garganta from which it had come.

The beast roared in pain, its hand spasming-

And dropping Aina.

_"NOW!" _roared the voice!

By some miracle, he managed to catch her as she fell. As he did so, Sosuke slid under the belly of the beast, and came up on the other side. As this happened, the hollow staggered back and dissapeared.

"It's after you!" Screamed Momo, struggling to get up, but failing miserably, as her arm had been broken by that hit. She wouldn't be walking anytime soon. "You're the one it wants! Run!"

_"Do not run."_

_W-What?_

_"Stand." _Commanded the voice. "_This is your trial. Your father faced the same."_

_You...know my father?_

_"Of course. She and I, served him."_

The hollow came back through the blackness, licking its lips hungrily. Know that he knew what it wanted, he felt obligated to stay. He had to stay, running was simply not an option.

The hollowfied Bruce roared lustfully.

_"He will not stop until you are devoured. You must stop him here!"_

"OI!"

Bruce turned.

**"Eh?"**

He rose, and staggered past Momo, placing himself directly in the beast's path.

"If you want my sisters...

A hand seized his broken glasses, and tossed them so the wayside. His eyes were now twin pools of ice, threatening to freeze anyone who dared to get to close to him.

He jerked finger towards his chest.

"Then you have to go through me!"

Bruce licked his massive lips.

**"You're dead!"**

"Idiot! I said run!"

All he could hear was the voice in his ears, and the dull pounding.

"Let it come." Murmurred Aizen. "Let him come."

**"Die!"**

Blood spurted through the air, and Aizen looked down to see a katana embedded in his chest, held in one quivering hand by Hinamori. Oddly enough, he wasn't bleeding now. Why did Momo do that-

However, the incoming hand did not give him such time to think of that.

_"Now! Speak her name!"_

"Shatter." He murmurred.

_Aizen..._He heard her voice a second before it happened.

KKRAM!

He was consumed in a flash of blue fire and smoke!

The hollow's fist met something cold and sharp, and a wind blew away the smoke.

Aizen now wore shinigami robes. In his hand was an elegant, yet simple blade, and it was the only thing stopping the hollow's fist. He held it with one hand, and had a murderous look in his eyes.

Momo fell backwards, on her but. Her once black robe had now turned white. Apparently, this was not supposed to happen, and it was made evident as she looked down at her hands.

_'I only meant to give him half, but he took it all?'_

Aizen moved his wrist slightly to the left, and the hollow lost its arm. Howling at the loss of its limb, Bruce tried to stomp him, but Sosuke nimbly sidestepped it, and in an almost effortless movement, now cleaved off its left leg, just below the knee.

Deprived of its balance, the fish-faced bruce began to fall towards him. It opened its mouth in one last desperate attempt to consume him. As if such a thing would happen.

"For what you have done to my family, perish here."

Slowly, he spoke the words, even as he saw the fear register in the eyes of the beast that had once been Bruce. This place would become his grave, and they both knew it.

"Shatter: Kyoka Suigetsu."

A multitude of slashes blossomed on the beast, and it fell apart in bloody chunks.

A new shinigami had been born.

--

Later that night...

He heard voices as he dozed.

"Idiot. Why'd you have to go and use up all your energy on a shikai?"

That was Noi.

He felt a pair of gentle hands run over his skin, tending to his wounds.

"Poor thing, I hope he didn't overdo it."

That voice sounded like the girl he had met in his mind...

(Next morning)

Sosuke woke with a start, and openly stared at the massive hole in his house. Or to be more precise, the hole in his room. It was huge and gaping, easily large enough for a truck to fit through.

"Oh."

"I can't believe a truck crashed into the house....Murmurred Ai, a look of open disbelief on her young face.

"I'm more surprised that it didn't wake anyone up." Grumbled Aina, her backpack slung over her shoulder.

_'Truck? Don't they remember anything?'_

"Breakfast is ready!" Called their mother, cheery as ever.

_'Did that shinigami do this...?'_

The siblings exchanged a glance and Aizen shrugged.

_'Oh well. She probably went back to that Soul Society place.'_

--

Loly was teenager who admired one person.

Sosuke Aizen.

Many people did not understand what she saw in him. She, with long, pigtailed black hair and light-pink eyes, who appeared to be almost as well-endowed as Orihime. She, whose clothing fit her name, including a white, schoolgirl-themed skirt and what looks to be black boots that reach her thighs. She, who always wore a _very_ revealing shirt tied to her neck and not much else except material to _barely_ cover her breasts.

But of course, that was all worn _outside of class._

Even in her school uniform, she had the looks to make the boys drool. But the only boy she'd actually associate herself with was Sosuke Aizen. The one person who was actually _immune_ to her charms.

Perhaps that was why she adored him so.

"Mornin'!" She chirped, as Aizen walked into class, and was rewarded with a sleepy wave.

"Good morning, Loly-san." He yawned, taking his seat next to Gin and Kaname.

"You look like shit." Commented Gin, as the lecture began.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Tousen.

The sound of snoring reached his ears.

"Sleepy, it looks like." Commented Gin, as the door slid open.

"Oh, you can sit next to...Sosuke!" The teacher barked the last part to wake him up. He jolted awake with a snort, and looked around sharply. He didn't usually fall asleep in class, which meant he was all but _exhausted_.

"Hmm?"

"Our new student will sit next to you." Stated the teacher curtly. "It will be your job to show her around the school."

"But I-

"No butts! You fell asleep in my class, and that will be your punishment!"

He hung his head.

"Yes ma'am."

It didn't really seem so bad at first, but his brown eyes tripled as he recognized the _student. _Said student now extended her hand in a friendly greeting, smiling brightly.

Even without her long hair in that ridiculous obi, he recognized her immediately.

It was Hinamori.

"Hello there! My name's Momo, nice to meet you!"

He saw markings on her palm and glanced downward.

Written on her hand was:

_Say a word and you're dead._

Oh yes, this was going to be a _long_ month.


	7. I Will Protect Everyone!

(Outside of class)

The moment the bell rang, he confronted her in the hall.

"What are you doing here?"

"How scary! You big brute! You're not gonna hurt me are you?"

He sweat-dropped.

"You can drop the act. It's not fooling anyone."

"Well I Think its pretty good, considering I learned it overnight!" She chirped cheerily.

"Okay...

He really didn't have much to say with that.

"But aren't you supposed to go back to this Soul Society of yours?"

"I can't." She sighed, with a slightly crestfallen expression. "Only soul reapers can go back to the soul Society."

She pictured Ichigo, and it made her shudder.

_'Besides, I have no desire to go back to that place as of the moment...._

"I haven't the power to return anymore."

"Return?"

He took her wrist and pulled her aside, so they could speak with impunity

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Her shoulders slumped slightly, but there was no denying that she was upset. "Last night I lost all of my powers as a soul reaper. I'm afraid they were all absorbed into you, Sosuke."

"I wouldn't know what you mean by that." He looked down at himself. '_I feel completely normal. If I absorbed these 'powers' of hers, then wouldn't I at least feel different?'_

"Thanks to you, I'm stuck in this gigai." She grumbled this under her breath.

"Gigai?"

"Its a temporary body we soul reapers use in case of an emergency. If a shinigami is weakened, they reside inside of a gigai until the recover their strength. While in a gigai, they can be seen just as easily as any other human."

The student nodded.

"It sounds...interesting."

"You don't believe me, do you?!" Fumed Momo.

"Can you honestly blame me?" He shrugged. "It _is_ a bit much to take in."

"Which is why-

She extended her hand to him, in some sort of gesture.

"Its up to you, Sosuke, to perform the duties of a soul reaper. It's only natural, you now possess the strength and speed of a soul reaper. You do not have the right to refuse your-Hey!"

As she had gotten to the last part, Momo had failed to notice that he was walking in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?!" She called out to him.

"To lunch!" He called back over his shoulder.

For a moment, she just stood there, feeling like a complete and total idiot.

Then...

"Hey, wait up!"

--

(Rooftop)

Gin looked up from his book as the door opened.

"Ah, there he is, the man of the hour-

It was then that he spied Momo trailing behind his best friend.

"Ah, and Hinamori-chan is his escort." At this, Momo turned a bright pink.

"E-Excuse me?!"

"Be quiet, Gin." Snapped Aizen with more force than necessary.

He was now stared at with confusion, as Gin opened his eyes.

"What's with the temper?"

Aizen seemed to sag as he took his seat amongst them.

"Sorry. I just had a long night."

"I heard a truck crashed into your house." Commented Kaname.

Aizen exchanged a glance with Momo.

"So, Hinamori-chan, were ya from?" Asked Gin as he turned the page in his book. The question itself was simple enough, but there was absolutely no mistaking the burning suspicion behind it. "I coulda sworn I saw a firefighter yesterday that looked just like you-

"Yeah...Its amazing what my little brother can get himself into." Commented a new voice.

Aizen turned as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Aina?"

He was greeted with a smile...

And a paper bag?

"Here, you forgot your lunch." She lightly tussled his hair as she said this, then sat down to the left of him. The motion in of itself made her breasts bounce. For some reason, she had always been well endowed, even more so than their mother, who was at least a C cup. As it was the school uniform barely fit Aina' shapely body, and if that skirt was just a little higher, then...

Well, then he'd have to go back to kicking the asses of some perverts.

But what surprised him, was the fact that she was actually _here_. Not that she skipped school, quite the contrary, she had a perfect attendance record. It was the fact that she was up here on the rooftop with them. Ordinarily, she sat with her more 'popular' friends, and didn't spare him so much as a second glance.

So why was she up here?

His sister blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, then looked at him.

She blushed.

"Is...something wrong?"

"Erm...Nothing." He muttered, looking away.

--

When the last bell of the day rang, he was sharply yanked aside by Momo.

"I need you answer." She insisted.

He pulled her hand off his wrist.

"I'm sorry, shinigami but I can't."

"Oh come on! You did just fine last night!"

"But that was only because my family was in trouble." He pointed out. "I don't know if I'll be able to pull something like that off every time. If I were to fail...

He let his head hang slightly.

_'I couldn't save my father, so who am I to be entrusted with the lives of countless innocents?'_

"It would be worse that you could possibly imagine."

"Guess there's no other choice then...She murmurred, slipping on a glove that was emblazoned with a skulled flame. Aizen did not notice her until she shouted:

"Hey you!"

He spun around just in time for her to ram the palm of her hand against his chin.

That was all it took.

Aizen sprang back, drew his sword-

Wait.

Drew his sword?!

"What did you do?" He asked, amazed, as he saw his body lying on the ground...

But then why was he looking at himself?!

"Aizen!"

"Ah crap, not again!"

He looked on as Kaname and Gin ran over to his body, bent to pick it up-

"Wait, why are there two of you?!" Gasped Gin, as he saw Aizen standing next to Momo, as opposed to the one he and Kaname were hoisting up. "And where did you get that tacky outfit?!" Tousen noticed this as well.

"What is going on here, Sosuke? Why do you have a sword?"

Unfortunately, their surprise had caused them both to drop Aizen's body, and it fell with a hard thud.

"Ow!" Yelped Sosuke, as he rubbed his head. "Be careful!"

Momo shook her head and reached into her pocket. She pulled out what looked to be a Pez dispenser. Upon doing so, she approached Gin and Kaname, and placed a finger across the latters chest.

"Bakudo #1: Sai!"

In a second, they were paralyzed, and down on the ground.

"I was afraid of this. Looks like I'll have to-

"Wait, what are you planning to do?" Asked Aizen, suddenly at her side, and now grabbing her by the wrist.

"I have to replace their memories." She replied, shaking free of him quite easily. "If they were to remember the events of today, then it could prove disastrous in the near future."

"But they're my friends! I can't let you do that!" Hinamori rolled her eyes, and spoke slowly, so as to get her point across."Well I can't have them _remembering_ this. Do you understand that?"

"Well...

He had to think of something, and fast!

And almost immediately, found it!

"If you do that...then I'll do _this_!" He made it perfectly clear what _this _was, as midway through his speech, he took out his blade, pressed its tip to his heart, and made as if to thrust it through-

"Wait! Don't do that!" She cried, holding a hand out.

He took a step back, moving out of her limited reach.

"Then let them keep their memories." Countered Aizen. "I've grown up with these two, and it is my sincerest desire to never deceive them. What you are about to do would require me to lie to them again and again, so long as I live here."

She took a step towards him, and his grip tightened on the hilt.

"Idiot! Why are you being so stubborn?!"

"I have learned that it is the only way to get your point across." He said this with an almost frosty tone. "Had I not resorted to such a crude method, then you would've erased their memories."

"You say that as if I've already given up." Momo grumbled.

"You already have."

After a moment of tense silence, she relented, and released the kido.

He sheathed his blade when she made no aggressive moves towards him, but instead held up her glove. She now directed her words towards Gin and Kaname. "Listen humans. I have removed your friend's soul from his body. And I'm _not_ putting it back until he comes with me. Go home with his body, and do not speak of this to anyone. Make an excuse if need be. If you do this, I will bring him back."

Gin looked about ready to say something, but a glare from Tousen silenced him. He exchanged a glance with Sosuke, who nodded his consent. "Go on, I'll be fine."

"Deal." Said Kaname.

--

"We're getting close." Murmurred Momo, pulling out what looked like a cell phone.

"Close to what?"

"To our next orders, from the Soul Society. It looks like the spirit of a young boy is about to come under attack-

The park next to them suddenly exploded in a cloud of dirt.

"That's it! There it is!"

Suigetsu was out of her sheathe in a second, as Aizen caught the edge of the fence, then vaulted over it. The hollow in question was an insectoid like beast, and it was currently chasing down a young boy.

"Wait!"

"I don't have time to wait!"

"Leave him be! Getting involved simply because a spirit is nearby, thats not how it works!" He clenched tightly his hilt. "If you intend to help this child then comit yourself to saving every spirit. If you're going to save this boy, then you must help all the others! Even at the cost of your own life."

Her words were dark and ominous, and held much weight to them.

But...

"Shatter!"He called, ignoring her further protests.

With a single swing of his zanpaktou, the beast lost two of its six legs. Clutching the hilt with his right hand, Aizen twisted his wrist, then brough the katana back around for a killing blow-

Only for the hollow to rear back and dissapear into blackness.

"Have you made your choice, Sosuke?"

He looked down at the boy.

"Here."

He pressed the hilt to the child's head, and performed a konso. As the spirit was sent to the afterlife, Sosuke Aizen seemed to sag, almost as if a great weight had been placed on his shoulders.

"I don't know if I'll be able to save everyone...

He looked over his shoulder to her, and pushed up his glasses.

"But I have made my choice. I will protect this town."

He slid his zanpaktou into her sheathe, her cries of encouragement and support echoing on in his mind.

"With my life."


	8. A Peaceful world: Aizen's grand ambition

(Evening)

He didn't have long to ponder on that strange mark upon Inoue's leg.

For what felt like the millionth time that day, they received another report of a hollow. It was back in the park, and Sosuke was rather annoyed to see that it was the exact same one he had failed to finish off last time.

Now it was chasing a young girl.

The sound of his rapid footfalls was the only warning the beast received.

The the shinigami was on it like its own shadow.

Aizen pulled the zanpaktou out from the mask, then decapitated its legs with one swift strike. Another slash brought it down, and a third killed it all together.

It vanished into spirit particles.

He knelt before the soul of the little girl. She was a little redhead, and her hair was done up in pigtails.

"Don't worry, your suffering is over."

She sniffled.

"Will I get to see my mommy and daddy on the other side?"

Aizen winced, but never let the smile fall from his face.

He was good at bending the truth, although doing so disgusted him. He could tell the girl the truth, that this hollow had devoured the souls of her parents only hours before-

Or he could lie, and give her false hope.

"Of course you will. They're waiting for you on the other side."

He gently pressed the hilt of Suigetsu to her forehead, and left the stamp there. Slowly, she sank back into the well of blue light that was the konso.

He rose and sighed.

"Why did you lie to her?" Asked Momo.

He gave her a sad look.

"Sometimes... false hope is better than no hope at all." He slid Suigetsu into her sheathe, with a small clack. "Hope is what drives us, and without it, we would not posses the drive to live on in this lifetime."

His gaze fell upon the zanpaktou.

"I'd like to believe I have this power for a reason."

"And what might that be?"

He plopped himself down on a bench, and leaned forward, head in his hands.

"Fate."

"For a human, you speak in riddles, Sosuke."

He now spared her another glance, along with a carefree smile.

"Life is a riddle, wouldn't you agree, Hinamori-san?"

"Marvelous." Complimented Momo, sitting down beside him. "Absolutely marvelous." She fixed him with an inquisitive stare. "Are you sure you haven't had any practice in this?"

"The dialect or the swordplay?"

"Both."

"Well, I used to take Kendo lessons with my father-

His face abruptly fell.

"That is, until he died."

Hinamori realized her mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry-

Sosuke shook his head.

"Don't be. He died protecting me. If I had to die, I'd want to die protecting someone precious to me."

"For...what its worth, I never found my parents in the Sereitei."

She was trying to make him feel beter now.

"Do you shinigami believe in fate?" He asked, after some silence.

"Of course."

"It is my dream to _shatter_this fate." He replied quietly. As he said this, Momo observed a change in his demeanor. His eyes, once pools of soft warmth and kindness, iced over. His gaze, was fixed straight ahead, as if he were fixated upon something and had a passionate desire to pursue it.

It unnerved her.

"What possessed you to aspire that?" It was if they were verbally at war, but in truth, they were merely having a simple conversation. This was their way of talking, and only they understood it.

"Can't you see where this is all going?" He said this sadly, gesturing out to the destruction this latest hollow had caused. "Shinigami claim to serve the 'balance' by killing hollows. Hollows detest soul reapers, and kill them in turn. Granted, this method does hold truth, but countless innocents still die, all over the world, correct?"

She nodded, but did not quite get his meaning.

He seemed to understand this.

"Tell me, what would you do, if I were to tell you that I believed not all hollows to be evil? What would you say, if I wanted to make a peaceful world were we, shinigami, hollows, and humans, could co-exist?"

The absurdity of his question shocked her, he could tell that much by her facial expression.

Noi had been the primary reason for this theory. Sure she was a bit rough around the edges when it came to being nice, but she wasn't actively devouring souls. In fact, she'd expressed the sincere desire for him to bring back some human food for her to try.

He needed to talk with her about this, as well.

"Well...Its not _entirely _absurd." She grumbled, and this amused him. "I suppose it could work, if you had enough manpower. But the Sereitei would never accept it."

"But what do you think?" He pressed.

"I think...She closed her doe brown eyes and seemed to actually think on it for a moment. "I think...that its nice, that someone wants peace for the world."

She blinked, then flushed darkly as he patted her on the head.

"N-Nani?! What the heck're you doing?!"

"You're a good person, Hinamori-san." Those words struck home, killing the anger and fear like an arrow to the heart. Straight and true did they fly to her ears.

She felt her face heat up, just as he smiled kindly at her.

"Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I-I have to go!" She sputtered, standing up in a huff.

"Where are you going?" He asked, as she pulled his body out of a tree, and unceremoniously dumped it before him.

"Back home."

He gasped in air as he slipped back into his body.

"Where's that?" He sat up and looked himself over to make sure he was normal. His sword was gone again, and he rather missed it, though he could still feel the almost constant presence of Suigetsu, as well as the lingering entity that was the _other_ him.

"Do you really want to know?"

"I suppose its not my place to ask."

"Good." She replied, walking off.

--

"Big brother, have you seen my pajama's?"Asked Ai, poking her head around into his room.

He looked up from tuning his guitar.

"Did you ask Aina if she mixed up the laundry again-

"She said she did it right this time!" Called his mother from down the hall.

"One of my dresses went missing too...Pouted Ai.

"Do you want me to buy you an extra pair?" Sosuke volunteered, giving the strings an absent minded strum.

Ai shook her head and began to close the door. "No, I don't want to make big brother spend all of his allowance."

She had a habit of referring to him as such.

"Good night, Ai."

"Night!" She chirped, closing the door behind her.

He began to start playing-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Hmm?" He looked around-

"Sosuke!"

He blinked twice, as Momo came out of his closet.

"Erm...What are you doing in my room?"

She flushed lightly, but shook her head.

"I'll explain later! We've got orders!"

"Orders-

She slipped on the glove.

"We're not alone!"

She slapped him with the glove, a second before the giant red hand grabbed him.

Sosuke fell backwards, and looked on as a giant snake like beast emerged.

**"YOU!" **It roared! **"I WILL NOT LET YOU GET CLOSE TO ORIHIME!"**

"Look out!"

--

(Gin's house)

"You're late! Where the hell were you?!"

"With my friends." He grumbled.

"Don't talk back to me, little shit!"

--

"Bastard." Mumbled Gin, as he slammed the door behind him. Another fight with his drunken father, and now he had a bruise on his cheek. "I swear, he's been like this ever since mom left...

Honestly, he was seriously beginning to consider living with her instead.

_'But then I'd leave everyone behind..._

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, he sat down on the bed and flicked open his cell.

There was a text from Aizen.

_Lets talk tomorrow. _

Short and to the point as usual.

_'Might as well. Got nothin' better to do..._

Maybe it'd be fun.

Because right now, he was bored out of his skull.

A flash of light caught his eye.

"Eh?" Blinked Gin, as he spied what looked like a golden marble on the floor before him.

Curious, he picked it up.

"And where did this come from?"

It wasn't that big, but was large enough to be held in his hand. It seemed to shimmer, and even felt warm to the touch.

He heard the sound of her exit, but did not see Yoruichi. Therefore, he missed the dark blur that jumped in his window. Feeling the breeze, he turned and scratched his head.

_'Did I leave that open?'_

"Musta been the wind-OW!" He yelped, as something stung his palm.

He jumped a bit, then waved his hand around to ease the pain.

He was unaware that the sphere was now gone, having dissolved into his skin.

He turned around-

And found himself face to face with a tan woman.

His eyes snapped open in surprise.

"Gin Ichimaru, I need you to come with me."

She extended a hand to him.

"Please, there isn't much time."

"Boy! Who's that I hear?!" Bellowed a voice from downstairs.

"No one, pops!" Called Gin, spinning back around to face the goddess of flash. "Look, I'm flattered you know me, but whoever ya are, you gotta get outta here-

"YOU GOT A WOMAN IN DER?!" He slurred.

"No, no one's up here!" Called his son.

"You're friend's in danger."

He froze.

"What's that supposed to mean-

The sound of footsteps, pounding up the stairs.

"GIN! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU HIDE MY BEER?!"

Oh crap.

There was no _way_ he wasn't coming in here now.

She did not leave him a chance to protest, and grabbed his wrist-

Pulling him out of his body.

He looked down at himself.

Gin blinked once, then twice.

His body was on the ground, and he was now wearing a hakama and sash. Strapped into the sash was a blade with a circular guard, and a white sheathe.

He didn't have a comeback for _this_.

"Let's go!"

"Where are we-hey!"

She dragged him out into the night, still pulling him along by his wrist.

"_You_, are going to Inoue Orihime's." She stated curtly, as they sped along.

He was going to lose his arm at this rate!

"I'll give you a watered down explanation. You're a shinigami daijo now. A substitute soul reaper."

_'Soul reaper?'_

He flashbacked on what he had seen today, whilst he heard his father scream.

He probably thought he was dead.

But Aizen had been wearing the exact same outfit, and he had been alive, _and_ out of his body.

_'Is this what you were hiding?'_

--

(Night Construction site)

"Okay, what's up? We've got school tomorrow, remember?"

"This!" Declared one of her friends, holding up a caged bird summarily giving the description.

"A cursed cockatoo?"

"Yeah, all of the people that've owned this bird have gotten into really bad accidents."

"Then why not let it go?"

"That'd be cruel. Here, Chizuru, do you want it?"

"Just how stupid do you think I am?" Retorted the redhead when she was offered the bird.

"So what about you, Aina?" One of her girl friends asked, holding up the bird cage. "Do you wanna take him?" The brunette stared at the bird for a second or two, then a little pink heart appeared above her head.

"Well aren't you cute?" She cooed, unlocking the cage.

The bird almost immediately perched itself on her finger.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

"That's no fair Shigieo, you know Aina has a weakness for cute animals...

The bird suddenly flapped its wings and started squawking.

Above them, a steel girder began to slide.

"Whoa!" Cried one of the girls. "Aren't you noisy!"

The sound of scraping metal was the only warning they got. With an ominous creaking sound, the steel beam lost its purchase on the roof, and plummeted towards them!

They didn't even have time to scream...

_'No!'_

CLANG!

--

When the smoke cleared, the girls were met with a shocking sight.

"A-Aina?"

Hunched over them, was Aina. She had spread her arms out to shield them. In doing so, she had taken the full brunt of the hit, the force of the blow forcing her to squat down on her knees-

And the beam was bent over her shoulders.

"Hey...are you okay girl?"

She raised her head, and revealed the blood that was trickling down her forehead, and into her left eye..

"Yeah...I think I'm okay."

"You're okay?! You're bleeding!"

"Really, I'm fine-

"Thank you so much for saving me." Interrupted a voice.

Everyone stiffened.

The bird, now back in its cage, had just...

Talked?

"Hey, did it just-

"Hello there, my name is Yuichi Shibata. So what's your name?"

"Ah!" Cried Tatsuki. "It talked!"

"I'd really like to know your name." It asked again.

Aina blinked once.

"Aina Sosuke."

"Hey, she likes the bird!" Cried Shigieo.

**Please review and lemme know what ya think! Do you think Aizen will go apeshit on soul society? Will he still recruit the arrancar? What is this 'shatter' ability he possesses? Are the character interactions good? How evil is Ichigo? (See profile for explanation) Lemme know what ya think!**


	9. Pursuit

When the mask shattered, Sosuke got a good look at its face. For the first time in a long time, he was very, _very_ had struck speechless. The upper left half of it cracked, then broke away...

Exposing a human face.

"You...

The hollow stared at him sadly.

When it spoke, it had a strained echo to its voice, but there was absolutely no mistaking who it was.

**"We...meet again, little Sosuke." **It rumbled.

"You're Orihime's brother...Mumbled Aizen.

It nodded, reaching a hand out-

"Baka!" Momo tackled him to the ground, just as the tail whipped overhead.

If he hadn't moved-

Well let us just say heads would roll.

It was looming over them now, mouth open wide-

"Shatter." Aizen did the worst possible thing he could, by focusing all of his energy into his zanpaktou. The soul cutter in turn gathered the energy, focused it, and created an image, one that was beamed _directly _into Sora's head.

Abruptly, it shrieked, and withdrew back into the darkness, unable to withstand the false vision.

"Care to explain what just happened?" Groaned Aizen, getting back up with his shoulder bleeding.

"Hold still while I explain."

Though Hinamori tended to his wound with surprisingly gentle hands, her explanation didn't help him much in comparisson to her kido abilities. What Aizen now knew was highly disturbing, and shook him to his core.

"Hollows attack those close to them?"

_"Fool! Don't you know where its going next?! It failed to kill you, that means-_

His eyes tripled.

"Inoue!"

Momo gave a small squeak as he grabbed her by the wrist. His other hand unstitched a garganta in the air. With a low hum like rip, the portal opened, the abyss like throat stretching wide endlessly for miles and miles-

_I don't think so, boy. _Hissed a deep voice.

Surprisingly, it snapped shut.

He touched at it again, but it did not come.

"What was that?" Momo asked suspiciously.

Aizen looked down at his hand, which now trembled slightly.

"I don't know."

_'We'll have to go by foot...._

--

Her feet drummed against the ground.

The pounding beat of her stride originated in her heels and ran up her legs, through her hips, and along her spine until it terminated at the base of her skull, where the recurring impact jarred her teeth and exacerbated the headache that seemed to worsen with every passing mile.

Her prey was a fast litter bugger, and it could tell she was gaining with every second. It poured on an extra burst of speed, desperate to get away from its pursuer, but to no avail-

A furious Noi appeared before it in a blur of sonido. The chain attached to her hip jangled as she raised high her zanpaktou, its crescent edge gleaming in the moonlight night like a firerfly.

"Oi, the hell're you doing?"

The hollow wasn't given the chance to answer, as the scythe smashed into its face.

"That's right, you weren't doing _anything_."

"Nobody messes with the kid." She hissed, as it began to fade. "I thought I made that perfectly clear to all of you losers." This one had been plugging up the garganta as well, and was the fifth one she'd axed today. "He's mine."

The sound of footsteps alerted her to another prescence.

"Oh? And who is this kid?"

She spun to face someone she did not expect to see here.

A shinigami.

His orange hair made him look goofy, but everything else about him exuded a sinister aura. This one had been coming here a lot lately, with two others. They'd been gathering hollows, and frequented the giant castle of Las Noches. However, they were unable to get inside, mostly due to the fact that she, along with Tesla, another arrancar Aizen had accidentally created, wouldn't let them in. She'd had a bad feeling about him the moment she'd seen him back when she was an adjuchas.

She'd been afraid of him then, and she was afraid of him now.

Even as an arrancar, her fear hadn't lessened a bit.

Her fear was passed down to Tesla, and right now, she was wondering where the hell he'd gotten to.

She could use the backup right now.

"You again? I already told ya, I ain't interested." She was plenty strong already, and didn't see any reason to ally herself with weaklings. As it was, she only followed Aizen because he'd given her the power to surpass her limits. To fight and slaughter to her heart's content.

He feigned dissapointment, but it was easy to see through his mask of kindness

"I am not here to ask your allegiance. I merely wish to ask you a question."

"And I wish for _you_ to leave." She spat back, trying to hide her fear.

"I will if you answer my question."

"Shoot."

"How did you become an arrancar?"

"I evolved." She stated simply, lying through her teeth with the most casual of ease. "Ripped off my own mask."

At this, Ichigo did seem dissapointed.

"How dull. I thought that someone had sped up the process. You look to complete to be a normal arrancar." He left it out there, as if to say, 'I know you're lying to me' but when she refused to speak, he shrugged. "But if that's not the case, then I'm outta here."

In a blur of static he was gone.

Noi stared after him for a second, then shivered.

Her home suddenly didn't _feel_ like home anymore.

There were nothing but sand dunes around here. Everyone aside from Tesla was scared to death of either her, or the new shinigami that kept showing up here.

She felt as if someone was staring into her soul, even though she knew herself to be alone. Her footsteps echoed down the halls, as she walked down the corridors. Her hand traced the alabaster white walls, running over the duest and dirt. They were lifeless and barren, not a soul to be found, much like this place had been.

This place was peaceful before the shinigami started coming here.

Perhaps it was time for a change in scenerey...

--

Orihime and Tatsuki looked up as someone knocked on the door. That roar from earlier had left them both disconcerted, and neither one wanted to go see who it was. "Orihime?" Prodded Tatsuki, still shivering from the sinister chill she felt in the air.

Nervously, the bubbly girl approached the door.

She took a peek through it, and he waved.

"It's Gin!" Replied the redhead, upon peering through the small peephole. He wore an anxious look, and on top of that, strange clothing. Upon noticing the hakama, she peered closer at the shinigami, trying to figure out just what he was wearing.

The room began to tremble.

"Nani? And he's wearing something funny-

Another tremor, this one shook the room and a hideous roar was heard. Tatsuki went white as a sheet, and Gin turned pale himself

"Inoue! You have to let me in!"

"Huh? Okay, sure-

Gin's eyes snapped open from their squint, as he heard her next words.

"Huh? Why am I bleeding-

_'Oh shit!'_

The sound of a body hitting the floor, then a scream.

"Orihime!"

_The door! Kick it in! _ordered a voice in his head.

The door _was_ kicked in by Gin seconds later.

Not pausing to marvel at how he had just done that, he instead focused on the monster before him. The bronze lady had given him a crash course on spirits on the way here, and from what he knew, this snake like creature, with the mask, had to be one.

A hollow!

That and it was currently strangling Tastuki!

"OI!" He called, not knowing much else of what to say. It turned round to face him, releasing his friend as it did so. Its red eyes narrowed menacingly, and its jaws opened up to hiss at him. It was only then that he realized how big it was.

Ichimaru drew his sword, then blanched when he saw its length. You could barely call it a sword, it looked more like a Wakizashi than anything! It practically _was_ a dagger, just with a hilt added onto it!

_'Eh?! How am I supposed to fight with something this short?!'_

"I-Ichimaru-san...

He turned his eyes to see-

_Two_ Orihime's?!

One lay motionless on the floor, the other was staring at him in a confused fashion. A chain connected the second Orihime back to the first, and their seemed to be some significance behind it all-

"Look out!"

Gin's distraction cost him dearly, as he felt something clamp down on his arm.

_Impale_ suddenly felt like the right thing to say. Prodded the voice insistently, pining for him to release her from the sealed state. It felt warm to the touch now, not quite hot, but as if her were touching human skin, rather than a pale cloth wrapped hilt.

"Impale!" He cried, and was rewarded with a sick squelching sound, and he had to hold tight to the blade, as the teeth bit down. They released seconds later, much to his horrified amazement, the blade emerged from the back of Sora's throat, and kept going until it hit the ceiling. Sora _screamed _and reeled back, releasing Gin, but now he was stuck on the blade.

Impaled.

_Got em! _Crowed the voice, and he suddenly felt very enthusiastic, although he knew not why.

Sora's massive body thrashed and buckled, his hands reaching out at the blade, trying to remove it from his mouth. **"It hurts! IT HURTS!"** But it stuck stubbornly into the wall, and refused to be dislodged, now matter how hard he fought.

When that didn't work, Sora tried to kill the soul reaper that held the blade.

Its tail cracked like a whip, the sound deafening in the small room.

Surprised, Gin lost his focus, and was slammed by the tail, giving Sora the neccesary time to retreat back into Hueco Muendo.

Ichimaru's blade retracted to its normal size, and he watched in disappointment-

_Well, if you want me to be longer now, then so be it. But just this once. _Chastised the voice, and Gin felt an amazed smile creep up onto his face. The blade itself had grown back out, and was now an average katana, perhaps a bit longer.

_My name is Shinsou. Remember it._

He held the blade with an air of reverence.

He'd always wanted to do something like this, and now he just had.

"This has gotta be the best day ever." His grin nearly split his face.

"Gin?"

Ichimaru smiled as he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Hey, Sosuke. Long time no see."

Aizen was visibly surprised.

"You're a-

"Shinigami? Soul reaper? Death God? Take yer pick."

Hinamori was _stunned_.

That blade in his sash was instantly recognizable. It had a very bloody history, and-

"How? How did you-

"Ah!" A scream jerked their attention back to Orihime.

Sora now held her in a massive hand.

**"Stay back...**He hissed, then took off into the night.

Gin jumped after it, and Aizen was already out the hole it had created.

Momo just stared after them.

"Idiots!"

Then she followed.


	10. May God Forgive Us

**_Good morning! Good afternoon! Good Night! Enjoy this chapter, as the action will truly begin to return now, and you'll get to see my evil little plans in action!_**

**_Dios ruego nos purdone, May God forgive us_**

_"You really should've dropped her." Gin muttered as Aizen dove out of the hole ahead of him._

**_"Drop your sword!"_**

_"No."_

_One moment Sosuke was on the ground, the next, he had landed atop the hollow's head. Sora made as if to take a chunk out of Orihime right then and there, but the soul reaper stopped him cold, via pulling back on the hair that stuck out from behind the mask. Yanking with one hand, he yanked again, using it as a sort of makeshift reigns to prevent the hollow from snapping his sister up._

_Even as he did this, he raising the heel of his right leg, to deliver a sharp, powerful axe kick, the back of his foot slamming into the hollow's mask, kicking with enough force to slap its face straight down, thus denying it of its chance to consume Orihime. Another kick, this one harder than the last, made its arm spasm, and in doing so, freed Inoue._

_Twisting around, he now rammed his sword into the left side of its gut, then pulled it out, trying his best not to register the monster's screams of torment as the zanpaktou delved deeply into its flesh. Ignoring the sickening sensation of the black bile squelching underfoot , and the aching pain of swollen joints, Aizen threw his sword up, sticking the massive blade square into the very ceiling. This freed up his hands, which he now locked above his head, and brought down..._

_Hard._

_Though the attack did nothing but daze it, the hollow was knocked to the floor. With surprising grace for one of his size, and with such a massive soul cutter, the blond twirled in the air, came down, and placed his blade an inch or so above the beast's throat._

_"S-Sugoi." Commented Momo with a a slightly awed look._

_"You act like you didn't think I could do this." Aizen replied, sparing her a glance. He pressed his foot down harder on the hollow's head, driving it down further, lest it try something._

_"Well well Sosuke," Ichimaru chuckled, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually cared about what happened to her."_

_"Well," He sighed, looking away, ignoring Orihime's crimson flush, and trying to hide his own. "I suppose so."_

_**"Who are you anyway?" **Sora asked, not moving an inch, its sickly red eyes glaring into the reaper's own brown._

_"Sosuke Aizen. Substitute Soul Reaper."_

_"Any chances of you just giving up?" Gin ventured again. "It'd be so much easier for you, after all."_

_Aizen turned to see his longtime friend, extended sword just under the bell of the beast. He was slumped up against the wall, and his right arm was quite bloodied, but he seemed to be quite alright, judging by the fact that he was speaking coherently._

_**"KILL YOU!" **Sora roared suddenly, his tail cracking like a whip, dislodging the two soul reapers at once._

_"Mah mah, I didn't think so." Sighed Ichimaru as he propelled himself back._

_Aizen, however, took the massive appendage across the face, and stumbled back a step, losing his glasses in the ensuing fray. The tail cracked again, blowing him clear out the wall. Surprisingly, his feet briefly found traction on the slippery street, but by the time he'd realized this, he'd already been tackled to the street by Sora._

_The impact took him by the shoulders, teeth sliding deeply into his collarbone. Blood was vomited, and with great effort the shinigami kept his footing, though he did lurch back a step._

_The monster spit some substance from his mouth, burning Sosuke's hand, just as he tried to swing his zanpaktou in retaliation. Whatever the stuff was, it burned like acid, and he yelped in pain, nearly tossing the blade away in reflex._

_Sora clamped down on his hand now, the incisors of his teeth clamping into flesh and bone. A harsh grinding sound was heard and it took all Sosuke had not to cry out in pain as he grappled with the hollow trying to eat his arm, sword and all._

_Only for a massive killer intent to freeze him in his tracks._

_Aizen looked down at his right hand and frowned at the burnt and blistered flesh._

_"That...hurt." He whispered silently._

_There was no way he could hold his sword with both hands now, and he could not effectively wield the blade with only one._

_Gin saw all this and scowled._

_"Shoot to kill, Shinsou."_

_Just like that, Sora lost his left arm at the hands of Ichimaru, the spear like blade effortlessly claiming the appendage. Some small part of Gin delighted in its anguished cries, but that small part of also wanted to kill this creature for even daring to lay a hand on him or his friend. However, before any form of retaliation could be given, he was now pointing the tip of the massive blade to the hollow's throat._

_The slightest twitch would plunge steel through Sora's skull._

_"Well then, looks like this is it for ya."_

_"STOP!"_

_He froze, just before the attack would have brought an end to Sora. He blinked, and his eyes returned to their sapphire blue, blinking, as if to take back in his surroundings. His gaze turned to behold Orihime, who now jumped down from the hole in the apartment. "Stop!" She pleaded, abruptly shoving him from behind. "Stop stop stop!"_

_The zanpaktou abruptly retracted fell from Gin's hand, as Orihime pushed past him. She now stood before Sora, and placed both hands on either side of his mask. Aizen tried his best to ignore her fervent apologies to her brother, but every single word was irrevocably burned into his mind._

_He couldn't bear to look, so he hung his head._

_"Sosuke, y-you're-_

_"Quiet." He mumbled under his breath when Momo came up behind him. "I'm fine."_

_"Sosuke."_

_When Sora actually spoke again, Aizen looked up in surprise to see that the mask was actually now gone, revealing the entirety of Sora Inoue's visage. The rest of his body was still half man half snake, making his next words all the more pitiable. "Please...kill me."_

_"What?"_

_Though his visage betrayed nothing, Aizen inwardly recoiled when Sora picked up the zanpaktou, and held its polished tip to his chest._

_"Hey wait a sec!"_

_"No, let him." Insisted Momo, restraining Gin suddenly. "This is the only way he'll find peace."_

_"But...there's gotta be another way!"_

_He gave a wan smile._

_"I only wish there was."_

_He closed his eyes, and held his head high."_

_"Goodbye-_

_"W-Wait!" Orihime moved the hair from the side of her face, and Sora's pale eyes widened at the sight of her hair-clips. As if that simple gesture spoke volumes, tears of mirth began to steam down his face, accompanied by a soft, genuine laugh. "Y-You're wearing them..._

_Inoue nodded, and sucking in a breath, spoke to her brother one last time._

_"I...wanted to tell you something. When you died, p-protecting me, I...never said thank you." Tears swam in her eyes now, but she wanted to be strong, she didn't want to let them fall, even when she dared to embrace him. "So...thank you, brother. Thank you so much."_

_She pulled away and Gin spat a curse into the ground. His own helplessness frustrated him, and though he longed to do something about this, the shinigami's words held strength and truth, even if not for the hold she had him in._

_And he hated it._

_The pale eyes of Sora Inoue fell upon Aizen and Gin again._

_"Take good care of my sister, shinigami."_

_Gin frowned at what he might mean, but nodded all the same._

_"Yeah."_

_Aizen wore a forlorn look, as Sora harshly plunged the zanpaktou through his chest. Slowly, dragged the slim upward further, deeper into his skin as hie bifurcated the hollow hole, and finally reached the mask. He didn't stop, not until the weapon had cleaved him straight through._

_Orihime watched him go, watched his hideous form dissolve into ethereal spirit particles. They seemed to linger in the air a moment, hovering just before her face, as if bidding her one last farewell. And then, even those were gone._

_Orihime stared after them for a moment, her lip starting to tremble._

_Aizen silently picked up his zanpaktou, then sheathed it._

_"Are...you okay?" He asked._

_Orihime was not okay. Physically, she was perfectly alright. Even in all this chaos, she hadn't even gotten a scratch, in fact Tatsuki had been the one to throw her out of the way beforehand. However, mentally and emotionally was an entirely different matter. She hadn't the slightest idea what this chain was, why it was attached to her chest, or why all this had just happened to her._

_She didn't know why her brother had become a monster, she didn't want to know it. She didn't want to know so many things right now, but she did, and that knowledge was tearing her up inside._

_But still, she nodded her head._

_"I-I'm f-fine..._

_The tears abruptly swam in her eyes until everything was blurry. She dared not speak another word, lest that word turn into a sob, and that sob into a torrent of tears. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her, and the dam that was her facade could take no more of it._

_She burst._

_"I'm not...she whispered suddenly, slowly shaking her head as the tears began to fall. As she spoke, her tone grew frantic and anxious, then she was shaking so badly she could barely even stand. "I'm not okay, I'm not okay at all!"_

_"I see." He muttered, wrapping her in his arms so suddenly, even though he had no idea why. It just felt right to comfort her, probably because he knew the same sort of thing, the same pain of loss._

_He barely even remembered his father._

_His earliest memory, or rather, the first memory he could recall was of someone with strong arms, a kind smile, warm eyes, and brown hair. He couldn't even remember anything before that._

_His hands moved of their own accord, one gently stroking her back, whilst the other rested against the back of her neck. In response, she hugged him tightly, her tears staining his Shihakusho and mingling with the blood, creating an odd tingling sensation._

_His mouth moved of his own accord, and with the ringing in his ears, and the adrenaline fading, he didn't exactly know what he was saying, nor did he pay attention to the fact that his tongue might be a bit looser than usual. But whatever he was saying seemed to calm her, and he hadn't gotten smacked yet..._

_"I need to treat your wounds." Momo spoke over his shoulder, and he felt a sharp stinging pain in his back._

_"It'll be alright." He mumbled to Orihime. "It'll be...alright." Just before he passed out from bloodloss..._

--

Momo sighed at the memory and paced around the silent streets of Karakura town. She knew that _they_ would be watching her and she had to make it seem like she wasn't deliberately coming to them, that this had all been a mere chance encounter, not some predestined event that she'd been dreaming about for the last month. She was dimly aware of how angry Aizen might be when he realize what she was about to do.

"I found you, Momo."

She heard his voice and turned around to come face to face with Izuru. It's happening in the exact same way I dreamed it, she thought to herself. "I-Izuru?" She gasped. He jumped down from the pole and swung his sword at her, leaving her just enough time to roll away.

She tried to listen to Kira as he went on about how giving her powers to a human was illegal, she was breaking the law, and how this was wrong wrong, wrong. She said but nothing. Right on queue, Toshirou appeared behind her.

Her eyes went wide, so much so that she nearly didn't move in time when Izuru struck at her with his sword.

Momo stood there in a defensive position as she waited for that someone in her vision to come, but nothing happened. Izuru leaned back to strike at her again and this time he cut her arm. She gasped in pain and clutched at her elbow, trying to stop the blood.

_No,_ she thought, '_This is not what was supposed to happen.... _Izuru swung at her again but this time his sword was stopped by a flash of light, then the sharp crack of a sword slamming into the ground.

"My my, it seems I arrived just in the nick of time, didn't I?" Despite herself, Hinamori breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her unlikely rescuer, his lanky build effectively hidden in his shihakusho.

"I-Ichimaru?"

He was standing before with Shinsou now coming out of its sealed sheathe.

He was ready to fight.

"Looks like I had to come after ya, Momo." Ichimaru spared Hinamori a wink and a glance. Thankfully Izuru and Toshirou missed it, due to the fact that he was facing away from them. "But then again, that makes us even, don't it?"

"You there! Who are you?"

"Me?" Gin feigned surprise. "I was about to ask you the same question."

"Kira Izuru." The blond replied readily. "Lieutenant of squad three."

"Pleasure to meetcha. Name's Gin Ichimaru. The one who's gonna beat your ass."

Izuru looked to be quite surprised as he eyed up the unexpected guest. "That's a zanpaktou. What squad are you from?"

Ichimaru smirked devilishly. "Squad? Sorry, I ain't got a clue whatch're talking about." A small yawn now, then he cracked his nexk and. "So, is shortstuff over there gonna fight me, or are you gonna do me the honors?"

Toshirou arched an eyebrow but remained silent.

Izuru scowled darkly.

"Well then, Ichimaru, I don't know who you are, but you're the one of the criminal's who took Momo's powers, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?"

Izuru response was to leap down from the pole-

"Then I'll just have to kill you for breaking the law!"

A slash that had once been difficult to block was now effortlessly sidestepped.

"What was that about killing me?"

"Shut up!"

At once, Gin's eyes shot open.

"Shoot to kill, _Shinsou._"

The _wakizashi _stretched dramatically, the blade that was but two feet long a moment ago lengthening itself to stab at the lieutenant from across the abandoned street. The spear-like zanpakuto shot forth at lightning-quick speed, the blond barely managing to dodge the attack. Kira leapt to the right and rolled behind the cover of some debris as the long blade retracted back towards its spiraled hilt.

Ichimaru took a step forward, and Izuru was already behind him, catching the steel with his own zanpaktou. "What's wrong? Did you think this thing was just for show?" With a simple pull of his wrist, Gin seized Kira, dragging him forward into the foremost of the streetlights that lined the quiet city street.

Red clotted his vision suddenly.

As Izuru reeled back, Ichimaru lazily swung out his left heel in a low kick, spun, and kicked the lieutenant's legs out. The zanpaktou came down like a mallet, nearly splitting Kira in two, but missing, just barely as he rolled away.

"So slow." Gin sighed. "You shinigami types really are boring."

By the time Izuru had risen, he smirked for some reason.

"That was just luck. There's no way you could hurt a _real_ soul reaper! You couldn't even-

WOOSH!

A wall of white energy exploded from Shinsou, splitting the ground beneath Izuru, and cutting his cheek, drawing blood. As the lieutenant snarled in furious surprise, Ichimaru chuckled.

"Sorry about that. I know you were in the middle of saying something," He rose to his feet, Shinsou slithering away, shrinking back to its two foot sealed length. "But you left yourself so wide open there I couldn't help myself. Sorry, were you saying something about a scratch?"

"Trash." Kira growled through clenched teeth.

"You let your guard down, Izuru." Stated Toshirou icilly, his gaze swiveling to Ichimaru. "I thought I told you not to take the enemy lightly?"

"Sorry sir." Izuru bowed.

Ichimaru was unable to pay attention to the rest of what Toshirou now said, but perked up when Izuru finally spoke.

"So tell me, what's the name of that monstrosity?"

"Why don't you tell me the name of yours first?"

Izuru seethed at the verbal jab, but refused to be baited.

"Why should I even bother telling you?"

A bolt of white light engulfed Ichimaru as Kira furiously launched another kido spell. Ichimaru held out his hand, batting the energy away from him with almost contemptuous ease.

Izuru was struck speechless.

"Now, how about we get down to business?" Ichimaru smirked.

"Why you-

_"Enough."_

Momo gasped in awe as Gin abruptly went down with a deep series of lacerations that ran the length of left and right shoulder, ending in the middle of his chest. Toshirou now stood on the opposite end of the street, his unsheathed sword gleaming bloodily in the moonlight as Ichimaru went to his knees and lay still.

"Kill him, Izuru."

"S-Sir!" Kira pointed his zanpaktou to Ichimaru's neck, appearing to be ready to actually deliver the killing blow.

Only for his wrist to erupt in blood.

"Pardon my intrusion." A voice wafted across the courtyard, accompanied by the powerful reaitsu. "But I believe the final blow can only be struck when the enemy is _entirely_ wiped out."

"What?"

Seething chestnut brown met frozen juniper green as Aizen Sosuke appeared in a swirl of _shunpo_. His gaze fell upon Gin, then he stalked towards Izuru, cleaning the blood from his blade with one clean swipe, splattering the sidewalk with red droplets.

"And as you can see, I'll do worse than that if you don't get over your stubborn sense of pride."

The younger male's right hand went right to _Kyouka Suigetsu's_ hilt and he used a sideways flash step to dodge the strike from Kira's zanpakuto before using another flash step to get right in the face of the man and clash against his sword. "Not bad. But if you think this is enough to make me yield, then you're sorely mistaken."

A brief look of genuine confusion was on Kira's ever solemn face. "What?"

"Shatter." Aizen declared, holding his zanpaktou forward for both shinigami to see. "Kyouka Suigetsu."

The blade glowed white, then both shinigami and zanpaktou vanished, ramming into a surprised Kira.

Aizen pushed Izuru backwards and tried making a cut to the blonde's waist to separate his upper torso and his legs but he jumped over the blade while gathering some energy in his fist. "Hado No 33: Sokatsui!"

The youth did a backwards flash step while holding up his sword to protect him from the massive blue spirit energy. However because of the incantation being bypassed, the spell's effect wasn't as strong, resulting in only a few minor burns on the white sleeves of his kimono.

Again, Aizen vanished, just before Izuru could connect, and this time, the blond nearly didn't get his zanpakuto up in time to block. Even so, the katana trembled in his fist, the force of the impact plowing his right foot into the ground...

Just as the left came up in a sharp swing to clip Aizen in the chin.

Hard.

Grunting, Aizen staggered backward, rubbing his jaw into a rueful grin as Izuru lowered his leg.

"Ouch. That one...actually stung." Spitting out a gob of blood, he got to his feet, and readjusted his spectacles. "As I said before, you really do have impressive physical strength. No wonder Momo spoke quite highly of you."

"Thanks." Izuru began with a just a hint of arrogance in his voice, his chest puffing out with a bit of pride as he turned his attention towards Hinamori. "It's only natural for me to try and improve all my skills while I still can and-

By the time returned his gaze to the other soul reaper, Aizen was already gone.

"Actually." Aizen began, emerging to Kira's right, "She was right about one thing. _Your_pride, really is your biggest weakness, Kira Izuru." As the lieutenant choked in surprise, Aizen smiled serenely, bursting out of another shunpo, this time to the left, his sword sweeping in from the right with such speed and force that even a newborn could see that a block was simply out of the question.

"It's over."

Within a second, Izuru Kira was forced to make a weighty decision. Blocking wasn't an option, and if he attacked at this angle, Sosuke would just disappear again, and their little dance would resume.

And so Izuru wisely ducked, allowing the substitute soul reaper to rush past him.

"Raise your head," Kira muttered quietly, his katana taking on an amethyst purple aura, eclipsing blade, then guard, then hilt, consuming the entire blade as he rose to his feet. "Wabisuke!"

With a loud snap, the blade lost its curve, creating two ninety degree angles, in other words, a square that strongly resembled a hook. Aizen's face registered surprise, then swerved back as Kira pivoted on his prominent leg, the odd blade sweeping just inches over the head of the would be revolutionary, who batted the released blade away with his own, and _shunpoed_ to a safe distance.

Aizen blinked in surprise at the odd looking katana.

"That's quite an odd blade you have there."

"This, is my shikai." Izuru replied solemnly, as they began to circle each other, neither wishing nor ready to make the next move in their duel, for fear of surrenduring the advantage. "Which is more than I can say for that pathetic piece of tin you have there."

"Yeah, I remember your sharp tongue." Aizen quipped lightly, his ego slightly stung from Izuru's comment. "Now are you going to attack me or not."

Now, a small smile quirked at Kira's lips.

"Here I come!" With that, he rushed forward, forcing Aizen into a rapid series of blocks and parries, none of the strikes getting through, but some of which came dangerously close to nicking his hands. "What's wrong, what's wrong?! Can't you keep up?!"

Just as Aizen prepared to counter, Izuru stopped his wild barrage, and stepped back.

"Do you know the power of my sword?"

"..."

"I see. Tell me then, how many times have did you block my blade?"

Confused, Aizen eyed Kira warily, ready for any sort of trick.

"Why are you asking me this?"

_"Five."_Izuru answered for him, holding up his hand. "You deflected Wabisuke _five _times in a row. That's...three hundred and twenty pounds of extra weight added onto that already heavy sword of yours."

"What...?" Aizen had just enough time to take one step forward, before _Kyouka Suigetsu_ slammed into the ground of its own accord, refusing to budge as Aizen pulled on the handle. "What...why is it so heavy?!"

"Its the power of my zanpaktou." Kira explained, darting forward once more, rapping Aizen on the back with his sword, and to the Aizen's surprise, the blade did not cut, even though he'd struck with the edge.

"Now do you understand?" Moments later, his arms gave out and his own body slammed into the ground, refusing to move, just like his sword. "Wabisuke doubles the weight of whatever it strikes. You can block or deflect it all you want, but the effect still remains the same. You cannot lift your sword now."You can barely even stand."

Now, with a deft twist of his wrist, Kira flipped up his sword, revealing that the edge, was actually on the inside of the square, as opposed to the outer edge. His grim face blocked the moon as Aizen strained to look up at his would be executioner.

"Kira-kun!" Momo cried, but still, he advanced, heedless of her plea. "Don't! Don't do it!"

Too late, Kira jerked Wabisuke upward, and-and....

"Do what?"

Everyone, excluding captain Hitsugaya, started in surprise when Aizen's voice came from the shade of the nearby lampost, for that was where he rest, arms folded calmly against his chest. Even as Izuru swore and glanced at his feet, the Aizen he'd thought himself to have incapacitated, vanished into nothingness.

"But how?! How did you-

"Ah, but you see," Aizen smiled, holding up Kyouka Suigetsu, the sword taking on ethereal form once more as it composed itself into the form of a natural sword, "That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

Toshirou popped one eye open.

"Your shikai, it requires your enemy to see the release, doesn't it?"

Aizen frowned.

"Perceptive."

Hitsugaya's response was to draw his sword.

"Captain Kurosaki was right. You are too great a threat to the shinigami."

"And for that, I'll kill you myself."

**Next time: Outmatched, outlasted, outdone. Kaname Tousen,t he blind warrior.**


	11. Shout, Scream, and I

**_Please review. This chapter was a bitch and a half to write, so please please PLEASE review peoples!_**

**_Shout, Scream, and I._**

The battle ended in an instant.

Momo screamed as Aizen slumped to his knees, bleeding from twin puncture wounds in the chest. He hadn't even had the time to raise his sword, let alone defend against the attack.

"Aizen-san!"

"I'm alright."

No, he wasn't. He had a pierced left lung and a pair of broken ribs. By some miracle, he'd avoided death by throwing himself to the right at the very last moment, but even so, he could feel his body shutting down.

"I can still fight." He mumbled as Izuru restrained Hinamori from running to him.

"No."

Surprised, he realized that it was Momo who had spoken.

"Hinamori...

His eyes widened as pain exploded in his gut, he could clearly feel it, the pain of a punch. It hadn't been expected, and in his current state, this was all it took to do him in. Groaning, Aizen dropped to his knees, doubling over in pain, yet still holding tightly to Kyouka Suigetsu as he fell.

At first he thought it to be Toshirou, but when he looked up, his eyes filled with shock.

_'What..._

It was Momo.

All sensation of feeling left him, suddenly dropping flat on the ground.

"Hinamori...why...

Rukia turned to her brother, her face cold and blank as his own.

"Let's go, captain Hitsugaya. This confrontation has opened my eyes."

Weakly, Aizen reached for her leg, grabbing her by the ankle-

Only for her to kick his hand away, and glare at him, with tears in her eyes.

"Know your place.... human!"

Her words cut deep into his soul, and he knew right away what had just happened. She was afraid, afraid that he would die, and so she had agreed to go back to Soul Society, in order to face her punishment. He sank back to the street, struck speechless by her actions.

_'I have to play to her act then.'_

If he could somehow survive, if, by some miracle, he could somehow endure this and get Gin to a hospital, then maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to mount a rescue effort.

"What're you-

Only for her to stomp him firmly on the back, forcing him down again, reopening the cuts once more, blood pooling beneath him.

Abruptly, she turned round, so he wouldn't see her crying.

"I...I was wrong to believe in you!"

Like a true actor, his eyes watered over, and he cast a pleading glance to Toshirou.

"Don't do this."

Hitsugaya shook his head, as the door to Soul Society opened behind him. "No, it was you who should not have taken Momo's power's to begin with. It's your fault that she has to go through this."

As a final insult, he kicked Kyouka Suigetsu out of Aizen's hand.

"Be grateful boy. I will leave you that worthelss zanpaktou as a memento."

He turned to go-

"Wait." Mumbled Gin.

Patiently, the captain paused, back to the defeated Ryoka, whose kimono was now stained a dark crimson.

"Take me." Ichimaru pleaded, fighting back his own tears. "_I_ took her powers, so I should be the one to die, not her!"

Toshirou arched an eyebrow in surprise, But before Ichimaru could say anything more, Momo's fierce shout cut him off.

"NO! If either of you should do anything to interfere, if ANY of you come after me... She paused, the words sticking in her throat, before violently spitting them out, feeling low as a beggar among the rich.

"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

Gin stared at her for a moment longer, before shoulders sagged, and his eyes misted over. Unable to sustain the effort of supporting him any longer, his body dropped flat against the bloody ground, but he looked straight up at her, defiant to the very end.

"I don't know about Aizen. But Momo, you're gonna hate me for a LONG time."

He squeezed Shinsou tight.

"Like it or not."

The blade glowed a faint purple.

Toshirou shook his head as the frost reformed into his blade.

"Go ahead and try then."

Hinamori was already on her way through the door, allowing her surrogate little brother to go first.

"Captain Hitsuaya, lets go."

Yet again, Gin strained to rise, but his body refused to listen, and he remained flat on the ground.

"Aizen! Aren't you going to do something?!"

"Be quiet, Gin."

_'Move damnit! MOVE!'_

Toshirou entered first, followed soon by Izuru, then Rukia just as he faded into the white.

Just as Hinamori entered, she looked over her shoulder, the door beginning to close.

"NO!"

Suddenly from deep within, he found strength.

Slapping his hands upon the pavement, he got his footing, and rushing forward, he reached out for her-

He was rewarded, as for just a moment, his hand brushed her cheek.

He received the small of her eyes going wide in shock, whilst he repeated his declaration to her, lavender boring into purple, as the door slid shut, cutting him off from sight.

Yet his words were still heard.

--

The moment the door faded from sight, Gin let out a frustrated scream, shaking his head, as his knees began to wobble. Aizen forced himself to sit up, then winced as he felt the blood begin to fill his lungs.

"Don't strain yourself. I can still walk, but we need to get to a hospital before we bleed to death."

Gin shook his head, angrily slapping Aizen's hand away.

"No. I ain't going anywhere, not with you."

"We're bringing her back, you know."

"What?" Gin stiffened, then retched blood. "So all that was-

"Hai." Aizen managed quietly. "Now if you don't mind

Blood began to drip from his chest again, and he idly stepped forward, and picked up his Kyouka Suigetsu. He knew something was wrong right away, when he felt no reaitsu from the blade, and then none from himself.

"Can you walk?"

His vision began to narrow, fading to black, just as he heard a familiar voice.

That of a girl.

"Shit, you two really took a beating didn't you?"

Aizen blinked, surprised to find himself no longer in a simple Shihakusho, but his regular street clothes, with his beloved blade nowhere to be see again. Gin was equally dumbfounded, staring at his best friend in apparent disbelief.

"What the hell?"

He was dimly aware of another voice, this one in his head, distinctly feminine, oddly familiar, yet not.

Aizen couldn't really tell who it was that was holding him now, he was too sleepy...

--

"Gin, wake up."

He scrunched his eyes against the voice, and covered his face with a pillow, not wanting to wake, as the memories of last night crashed down upon him, along with the sounds of the morning.

He had hoped that it was all just a bad dream.

But judging by the pain all over his body, he wasn't going to be getting off so easy.

All of it, the battle, the blood, the loss...

It had been real.

And the thought of it made him miserable, lower than dirt.

"Go away...

An exasperated sigh was heard.

"Wake already. We haven't the time to be lazing about, Ichimaru."

Gin weakly shook his head, and rolled over in the bed-

Which only served to open the wounds.

The reaction was predictable.

"YEARGH!"

With a painful yelp, he sat straight up, dropping the pillow as he did so, face twisted with pain as he clutched his bandaged chest, the white cloths now slowly staining red with blood.

He winced as he felt a hand against his gut, then let out a small sigh as the hot burning sensation in his chest cooled, a green glow seen through his scrunched up, closed eyes.

"Better?" A voice asked, as the sun began to rise behind her, lighting the room ever so slowly with its gentle glow, her purple hair, tied back in a ponytail, and as if wet from a fresh shower, glistening in the early light.

Ever so slowly, he nodded, hesitantly opening his eyes, which had been shut for what seemed like days.

Golden, honeysuckle eyes sparkled happily as he unclenched his hands from fists, allowing his arms to hang loosley at his sides, supporting his weight, and therefore, himself.

Looking about, he recognized this not to be the hospital, a place he had often frequented during his younger days, when his father hadn't been quite so subtle about the beatings, but a different place entirely, what looked like the inner room of some shop or something.

A ghost of a smile, then a frown flickered across his face as he recognized his guests. Both wore a shihakusho, but one of them, actually, BOTH of them hadn't been a shinigami the last time he'd checked.

"Sosuke? Kaname? What're you-How are you-

"It's a long story." The blind youth replied quietly, reflexively gripping the oranged clothed hilt of a teardrop sword hanging at his side. Aizen smiled as well, and extended a hand.

"Welcome back, Gin."

"Wha? Sosuke, when did you-

Aizen winced.

"As Tousen said, its a long story."

"And we don't have much time." This came from the woman who'd remained silent until now.

She idly flicked of some dust from her orange jacket, her legs crossed over one another as she leaned against the far wall. "Don't worry, your friends will bring you up to speed."

Gin froze, his eyes bursting open as he beheld the strange woman he'd met only three nights ago.

"You?!"

Moments later, Yoruichi flashed him a wide grin, leaning back in the easy chair next to the bed, arms crossed behind her head, stretching out like a cat, yawning deeply as she did so, her eyes closing gently as her mouth opened wide.

"Me."

Yoruichi Shihoin chuckled bitterly as she allowed herself to relax for the first time in twelve hours, a faraway look in her eyes, as she watched the three boy's converse. Tessai was in the back room, utterly exhaused, not only from treating Ichimaru's and Aizen's wounds, but also, from helping the boy regain his powers.

And what a hellish moment that had been.

--

_(Flashback)_

"_Well?"_

_"Well what?"_

_Urahara watched as the last link of the chain of fate crumbled and the hole opened up in Aizen's chest. He'd known the risks coming in to this, and he'd agreed to them anyway, regardless of the consequence._

_"Well what?"_

_Yoruichi gave a small sigh, then ran a hand through her hair._

_"I'm serious, do you think he'll-_

_Everything seemed still for an instant._

_Ururu shut her eyes, bit her lip, and hid behind Kisuke._

_She knew what was coming._

_Yoruichi winced as the reaitsu began to change, twisting and warping itself into a hideous distortion._

_Any second now..._

**_"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_**

**_--_**

_An explosion of raiatsu came from the lieutenant as a strange white substance began pouring out of his eyes, his nose, his mouth. Sosuke Aizen was in more pain than he had ever thought was even possible. Toshirou running him through was nothing compared to this. The pressure on his body was incomprehensible. It felt like his body was suddenly three sizes too small for him, and was bursting at the seams trying to contain him. He barely felt the restraints that Tessai was using to hold his arms back shatter from the force of the reaitsu he was emitting._

_Unknown to the boy, inside of him was deteriorating as well. If something was not done soon, then he'd turn into a full hollow._

_--_

_"Welcome." A woman's gentle voice signaled Aizen's return to consciousness. He opened his eyes to find his head in the lap of a familair woman with long dark hair and deep blue eyes. A gentle smile was on her lips._

_Aizen slowly sat up and looked around. "It's beautiful." He said in awe as he looked around and the inner world. He'd only been given a glimpse of it the first time, but now, he saw the entirety of this paradise, laid out for him._

_"Thank you. Your brother didn't even stop to look around." She said, a pleased expression on her face. "One of the reasons I would not accept him as my wielder. He did not have the patience to simply observe before acting."_

_The woman stood up. "Tell me, Aizen, what do you see? Tell me everything you see around you, everything you notice about this inner world."_

_Aizen did so. "The flowers, none of them are the same type. Every one is different. None of the trees are the same either. There are maple, spruce, pine, elm, fir, and many others. There are no stars in the sky, just the moon." She began to move. "No matter where I am, the moon is always reflected in the water. Just like the flowers are always reflected in the trees."_

_Aizen looked up. "The moon doesn't have any craters. It's just a silver disc in the sky." He looked back down. "There's nothing in the pool. The water is completely clear and there's nothing there. All I can see is the sand at the bottom." Finally he looked at the woman. "There are faint designs in your kimono. I can see a moon, some flowers, ripples that look like water, and the whole thing reflects light like it's a mirror."_

_Kyoka Suigetsu clapped gently in approval, a bright smile lighting her face. "Very good. You didn't noticed the designs on my kimono when he first came here." She walked over to where Aizen stood, and placed her hand on his shoulder "I think you and I will get along fine, little one." She smiled, and it wasn't as forced this time. "You don't mind being called that, do you?"_

_Aizen shook his head._

_"Not at all."_

_--_

_Less than a second later, on the outside world, his body exploded, just before the final kido could be completed. A second later, the wind rushed out, covering the field in an ashen cloud of dirt dust and debris! The thick cloud was suffocating, and no one could see the figure within it..._

_"Phew...._

_At last it cleared, exposing the figure within._

_Aizen wore a shinigami's clothes, and though he was still partially covered in the cloths from Tessai's binding spell, the boy seemed to be entirely alright, without so much as a scratch. To Urahara, he seemed BETTER than alright._

_Now, entire face was covered a mask that was strongly reminiscent of a hollow human skull, with two horns just below where it rounded over across his hair as a helmet. From the top to the bottom. The top curved up and attached itself to his face, running down his cheek a bit. But not far enough to be very noticeable, aside from the trio of blue stripes that curved from the bottom lip to encircle the eyes and the teal tear marks that ran down the white porcelain._

_After a moment, Sosuke brought his hand up and touched the mask with his fingers, which curled into a fist as he broke it, pulled it away and tossed it aside._

_Carefully, Aizen reached into the sheathe at his side, and pulled out none other than Kyouka Suigetsu. His thumb tenderly caressed her guard, and he felt her delight at being rejoined with him once more._

_"Hmm. It seems your little test worked."_

_Urahara could only stare in horrified fascination._

_(End Flashback)_

--

But now that Aizen had recovered his powers, and now that Tousen had been made a shinigami, their work had really only just begun. They had about a week to whip these three into adequate shape for a potential rescue operation, and that wasn't even considering Aizen's two sisters' and the abilities they possesed.

The eldest sister had MASSIVE potential, but training the youngest to be a fighter? Shihoin Yoruichi blanched at the prospect that it would likely take another hollow incursion to draw _her_ powers out again, and even then, that had been an accident thank's to a mistake on Gin and Aizen's part with releasing too much reaitsu.

Hell, they'd drawn a menos grande out of Hueco Muendo! That was WAY past overkill!

Swearing that she'd give whoever was behind this atrocity one helluva beating, Yoruichi shook her head once again before she rose out of her chair, rubbing her throbbing temples as she approached the exuberant teens.

_'Five kids and me against the entire Sereitei? I'm not liking these odds at all..._

Time to give these three runts a harsh dosage of reality.

--

_(Deep in Hueco Muendo)_

_"Damn."_

Noi clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction and boredom. She'd been roaming the desert listlessly for at least a month now, the only interesting aspects of her incursion being the occasional conflict with an adjuchas or two, which even then, she'd easily crushed after playing with them for an hour or so.

Her latest quarry was horribly elusive, and slippery to boot, always slipping away just before she could catch up with him, always little more than a barely distinguisable dot on the gloomy horizon of Hueco Muendo. As her heels crunched against the cool sand, she had the time to think back on when things had been a bit more interesting.

Regretfully. Aizen had only shown up once during those scant thirty days, and even then it was only to pay her a brief thank you for saving him from that hollow. He'd promised to show up again, but it seemed like such a long time ago now...

"You are pursuing me." It was a statement, not a question, as the black speck she'd been stalking, suddenly grew to the full size of six foot five humanoid male with a sharp buzz of sonido. "And I commend you for your persistence."

Her eyes widened slightly as a brutal reaitsu buffeted her. This was no mere vasto lorde, its reaitsu was far too high for something like that, too thick and dense to even be compared to that measly level.

"Now, what do you want with me?" The arrancar turned his gaze towards her, and it was then that she got a good look at him. His chest was armored and blackened, where his hollow hole could easily be seen, and that same armor halted at his midsection, leaving his white hakama pants be, though it did mold around his face, framing it in a type of helmet, which now peeled away to reveal a very human face, dark hair hanging over into his eyes. "You've obviously been pursuing me for a reason."

It was his arms that warranted her attention.

His right arm was more of a shield, extending from his hand to some distance beyond his forearm with the same intricate pattern as before, surrounding what appeared to be Hollow-like teeth in the center and a rose like pattern or skeletal nose and eyes near the end.

The left arm was white, with a red stripe running down the length of the center. His fingertips were of red diamond shaped marks on them. A spike protruded from the shoulder and two more resembling claws extended over his chest.

A vasto lorde arrancar, she realized. She was staring a fully evolved hollow, with its mask removed, right in the face, and he was completely and totally unfazed by her reaitsu.

_'Shit' _She swore to herself. _'Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!'_

"My name is Sado Yastura." The arrancar rumbled again. "As I said before, what is that you want from me?"

**_Yay! Chad makes his entrance at last! Next time: Shinigami boot camp? Deadline, one week!_**


End file.
